Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Participants should be aware of the following financial/non-financial relationships: . Hema Gomathy Sathish Kumar, BDS, MPH, CAGS (Dental Public Health): I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Raul garcia, BA, DMD, CAGS (periodontology), MMSc: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Mary Tavares, DMD, MPH: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Elizabeth Kaye, MPH, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Astha Singhal, BDS, MPH, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Abstract: Objective: The objective of this analysis is to examine the evidence of the impact of financial barriers on dental care for older adults aged 65 years and above. Methods: Our study included US-based studies from January 2000 to December 2021 focusing on adults 65 years and older. Using pre-specified terms, we searched multiple databases (Pub-Med, Embase, Web of Science) and manually filtered articles based on our inclusion-exclusion criteria. Descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted. Results: The final review included 20 studies. The majority of studies were cross-sectional and focused on common key barriers to dental service use. Non-Hispanic Whites, aged 65-79 years, those with better educated with higher incomes had higher dental care utilization. Older adults living in urban or metropolitan areas, those who perceive to be in good health, and those with dental insurance are more likely to visit dentists. Older adults with insurance are more likely to use preventive dental care and less likely to undergo more expensive treatments. Our review revealed that lack of resources to pay for dental services, either through dental coverage or out-of-pocket, is a key predictor of utilization, particularly for low-income older adults. There are significant gaps in our understanding of alternative mechanisms of increasing coverage. Conclusion: As expected, social determinants of health play a major role in determining access to dental care. Our analyses of the evidence and gaps in evidence will provide insights for policymakers and dental providers to make dental care access more equitable for older adults.
Source of Funding: None
Affiliations: All the included authors are affiliated with, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
