ADA.org: Future of Dentistry Full Report

FUTURE OFDENTISTRY

average expenditures from $541.99
to $475.52 (see Table 4.2). While
this per capita decrease in expendi-
tures is not directly reflected in the
per capita HCFA expenditure data
(see Figure 4.3), when the HCFA
expenditure data are adjusted to the
increasing proportion of the popu-
lation with a dental visit, a decline
in real expenditures per patient is
apparent.
As shown in Table 4.2, declines in
inflation-adjusted per capita expen-
ditures between 1987 and 1996
occurred in most demographic sub-
groups. Exceptions are in the
youngest age group (2-4 year olds),
African Americans and races noted
as other, and those individuals with
household income below 100% of
the poverty level. The declines in all
other groups is likely to reflect
improving oral health and thus less
need for restorative services.

Demographic Variations in
Visits and Expenditures
GENDER

As shown in Table 4.3, the per-
cent of females that visit a dentist
has consistently been higher than
males. Females also spend some-
what more on average than males
(see Table 4.2). This difference
narrowed between 1987 and 1996.

AGE

Dental care utilization also dif-
fers by age. Increasing utilization
by both the youngest and oldest
individuals in the more recent
NHIS surveys is apparent (Table
4.3). The increase in young chil-
dren may be due to an increasing realization of the
importance of oral health in the young, and the
increased utilization in the elderly is partly due to the
reduced incidence of total edentulism in adults. The

role of edentulism in utilization of dental care is

demonstrated clearly in the literature (Meskin and

Brown, 1988). As fewer additional American adults

become edentulous, more adults will seek regular den-

tal care as older adults.

Financing of and Access to Dental Services

Real (Base=1998) 1987 NMES and 1996 MEPS Per Capita Expenditure

Data For Persons 2 Years of Age and Older who Visited a Dentist^5

Source: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey

(NMES) and 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).

Overall $541.99

126.32

625.58

459.95

553.53

627.32

570.99

558.52

403.34

444.43

508.80

543.74

371.24

427.27

538.97

607.10

517.60

562.19

$475.52

154.72

536.59

400.37

475.50

514.91

533.63

478.11

408.13

545.82

435.60

478.71

420.07

371.42

478.92

515.68

461.90

486.76

1987 Charges 1996 Charges

TABLE 4.2

.000

.099

.045

.026

.007

.008

.428

.000

.913

.105

.148

.000

.362

.095

.036

.000

.021

.001

P-Value

Age

2 to 4

5 to 17

18 to 34

35 to 54

55 to 64

65 and over

Race

White

African American

Other

Ethnicity

Hispanic

Non Hispanic

Poverty

Below Poverty

100 %- 200 %

201 %- 400 %

> 400 %

Gender

Male

Female

(^5) Per capita estimates were derived by ADA staff using NMES (Edwards and Berlin, 1989) and MEPS (Cohen, 1997) data available from the
Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research (AHCPR).