Oral health disparities in Appalachia: orthodontic treatment need and demand

BACKGROUND: Significant oral health disparities affect people in West Virginia and elsewhere in Appalachia. Although oral diseases such as caries are a major problem, little is known about the occlusal status of this under-served group. METHODS: Fifty-eight adolescents (ages 12-17 years) and 78 of their parents underwent an orthodontic examination as part of a larger study on oral health in two rural West Virginia counties. Two orthodontists used a standardized index to rate their need for orthodontic care. Participants were interviewed regarding their demand for and history of orthodontic care. RESULTS: The study results show that parents had a high rate of complete or partial edentulism, an infrequent history of orthodontic treatment, great unmet orthodontic need and less demand for orthodontic care than was suggested by their clinically determined need. The adolescents were similar to national norms with regard to orthodontic treatment history and need, but lower with regard to demand. CONCLUSIONS: The adolescents' similarity to general population norms with regard to previous orthodontic care and level of occlusal status is promising. Nevertheless, their lower recognition of a need for treatment suggests possible future oral health problems and a lower oral health quality of life. Their parents, however, were considerably worse off, in comparison with their adolescent children and adult comparison samples, with regard to orthodontic care and other oral health status measures. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Culturally sensitive psychoeducational methods to promote recognition of oral health needs may be required among adolescents in Appalachia to have an impact on oral health values and to prevent oral health problems. Issues of orthodontic care utilization and, perhaps, access to care need to be addressed among adults in Appalachia.     

Orthodontic treatment and demand of a cleft lip and palate patient.

Most orthodontists would agree the treatment plan followed in this case was a severe compromise; many oral surgeons will find it completely unacceptable. However, during the relatively short treatment time--a total of 12 months--the anterior crossbite was corrected and the patient got the front teeth she wanted. Demand or perceived need of the patient should always be the prime objective of any kind of treatment in order to have patient's cooperation. The patient and her parents are now very grateful and ready for the prosthodontic procedures. Although this case was not treated according to the need perceived by the specialists, the result is by all means acceptable and satisfactory to both parties.     

Discrepancy between need for prosthodontic treatment and complaints in an elderly edentulous population

Most reports indicate that about two-thirds of the elderly population have poor oral health but that only about one-third complain of a problem. The reason for this discrepancy has never been explained adequately. The objective of this study was to estimate the need for prosthodontic treatment in an edentulous elderly population, and to identify factors associated with complaints, needs for treatment, and the use of dentures. Interviews and examinations were conducted to determine the oral health and dental concerns among 269 residents of longterm care facilities in Vancouver. The need for prosthodontic treatment was considered under theoretical, clinical, and practical conditions, and related to various factors that might help to predict this need. During the interview, about half (54%) of the sample identified a problem, and 83% of the subjects were either using a denture with a major fault or were missing a denture. Seventeen percent of the sample would not benefit from treatment because of a severely resorbed residual ridge, while the presence of a complaint combined with a prosthodontic need indicated that about one-third (36%) would seek and benefit from treatment. The proportion of subjects with complaints was larger among the more educated subjects, and among those who had been recently to a dentist. It was not possible to predict the need for treatment from any of the socioeconomic factors considered. No significant association was observed between the need for treatment and the complaints, and many subjects seemed to be resigned to their discomfort or had unrealistic expectations from their dentures.     

北京市城区居民牙科服务需要与需求状况分析

目的 分析北京城区居民牙科服务需要与需求状况，预测未来需求水平。方法 分层、整群、随机以北京市区居民１ ５１７人进行口腔健康状况和需要与需求问卷调查。结果 患病率９７．６％，１年就诊率３１．５％，总年需要人数较实际需求多４ ４１２ ０１０人，潜在需求主要由认识因素、供方服务造成。预测消除认识因素、供方服务的影响，需求将分别增加６９．４％和１３．２％，到２００５年需求量将增加１．１４％，２０１０年增     

The phenomenon of the inducement of demand and various concepts in the economics of health

The article looks at the behaviour of practitioners and patients from an economic point of view, in particular at supplier-induced demand (SID). The objective is to be able to describe the factors which impact on the market for health care. To define the market for health care/dental care in general and the SID concept in particular, the following economic terminology is relevant. uncertainty, asymmetric information, moral hazard, and the agency relationship between practitioner and patient. Essentially SID results from the existence of asymmetric information (information "gap") on the health care market. The patient is less informed than the practitioner and cannot accurately assess his need for medical care. Hence decision-making authority is delegated to the practitioner who acts as the patient's agent to determine the optimal (amount of) care. This enables the practitioner to influence the demand for medical/dental care. If the practitioner is more interested in the rate of return than in the patient s need for care, a difference might arise between the care recommended by the practitioner and the care the patient would have asked for if he had the same level of information as the practitioner. This difference is called the amount of SID.     

Prosthodontics and the patient: what is oral rehabilitation need? Conceptual analysis of need and demand for prosthodontic treatment. Part 1: a conceptual analysis

PURPOSE: The concepts of need and demand are central in studies on dental care. In the literature, a normative definition is often used, but it pays little attention to the individual's personal comfort and quality of life. Need and demand for prosthodontic services are difficult to measure, as prosthodontic treatment is highly individual and not closely related to edentulousness. Need, however defined, does not always lead to demand for treatment, depending on a variety of factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present article is part of a larger study in which the intention is to evaluate need and demand for prosthodontic treatment among the participants in a 1989 and 1999 longitudinal study of a population sample. As the first step, this article reports a conceptual analysis of the need concept from the literature. RESULTS: Need is stated as socially established in the interaction between patient and clinician. It makes demand dependent on available treatment options from the care provider and society. In the prosthetic treatment decision-making process, the emancipatory perspective with the patient-clinician dialogue is of utmost importance to achieve an optimal treatment result. CONCLUSION: The professional attitude toward need must be that there is no true objective or subjective need. Need is established only in a communicative dialogue with mutual respect between the professional and the patient.     

Need and effective demand for prosthodontic treatment

The unmet and met need for prosthodontic services in the United States have been estimated and projected to the year 2000. Based on need-for-treatment estimates within the U.S. population collected by oral examination in 1971 to 1974, some 214.7 million hours of unmet need were estimated. By the year 2000, the projected need is expected to increase to approximately 264.7 million hours (if edentulism is assumed to be zero) or to approximately 293.8 million hours (if prevalence of prosthodontic need is assumed to remain stable). A concomitant rise in effective demand is also expected from 44.7 million hours in 1976 to 1977 to approximately 62.2 million hours in the year 2000. Thus, despite an assumption of declining edentulism, the unmet need for prosthodontic services will remain high.     

Can Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life Measures Substitute for Normative Needs Assessments in 11 to 12‐year‐old Children?

OBJECTIVES: 1) assess the relationship between a measure of condition-specific oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and the related normative need for dental treatments, and 2) test the diagnostic validity of the condition-specific OHRQoL measure for specific dental conditions in a group of primary school children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of all 11 to 12 year-olds carried out in a municipal area of Suphanburi province, Thailand. 1034 children (91.8%) were dentally examined to assess their normative needs for 6 types of treatment (dental caries, traumatic dental injuries, enamel defects, periodontal, orthodontic and prosthodontic treatment). OHRQoL was assessed using the Child-OIDP index and its Condition-Specific impacts measure for the 6 treatment types. RESULTS: The prevalence of specific types of normative needs ranged from 3.2% (prosthodontic) to 97.0% (periodontal) and for Condition-Specific oral impacts from 0.7% (prosthodontic) to 50.6% (dental caries). Despite their statistically significant relationship for every treatment type except for periodontal treatment when need was indicated by a CPI score of 1, there were large differences between measures of normative need and oral impacts. High proportions of children had normative need without impacts and vice versa. The biggest differences were for appearance-related conditions (e.g. enamel defects and orthodontic treatment). For every type of treatment, oral impacts poorly predicted the normative needs of individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Although normative needs and OHRQoL are associated, when assessed appropriately, there was considerable discrepancy between them. OHRQoL measures cannot replace normative needs. Instead, both should be used in combination in order to cover different dimensions of oral health.     

Perceived oral health status,unmet needs,and barriers to dental care among HIV/AIDS patients in a North Carolina cohort: impacts of race

OBJECTIVE: This prospective observational study examined differences in perceived oral health status, treatment needs, dental care utilization patterns, and barriers to care between HIV-infected non-Hispanic blacks and whites in North Carolina. METHODS: 632 adult HIV-infected medical clinic attendees provided information on their oral health status and dental care history during face-to-face interviews with a trained interviewer. RESULTS: Compared to whites, blacks were significantly more likely to be female, older, less educated, have lower income, and have acquired HIV by heterosexual sex or injecting drug use. Although two-thirds of patients reported good oral health, blacks were significantly more likely to have loose teeth, need extractions, and be episodic dental care utilizers. Primary barriers to dental care were cost (30%), fear (19%), and low motivation (13%). Sixty-five percent of patients had unmet dental needs in the last three years. Race, cost, fear, and immune competence were significantly associated with unmet dental need in a multivariable model. CONCLUSIONS: Disparities exist within this HIV-infected population in oral symptoms, utilization patterns, and perceived unmet dental need. Targeted interventions that address barriers to care are needed to help establish preventive dental care patterns in this region, especially among blacks.     

Do regular dental visits affect the oral health care provided to people with HIV?

BACKGROUND: Financial factors related to income and insurance coverage have been found to limit access to, and influence use of, oral health care services by people with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. METHODS: The authors determined if visiting a dentist regularly affected the oral health services provided to people with HIV when financial barriers were eliminated as an impediment to access. They analyzed dental claims data for services submitted for payment to the Minnesota Access to Dental Care Program. The analyses focused on comparisons of dental utilization patterns among 273 people classified as regular patients, or RPs, and 222 people classified as nonregular patients, or NRPs. RESULTS: RPs were found to have been provided more diagnostic and preventive care, and less restorative, endodontic, periodontic, removable prosthodontic and oral surgical treatment than were NRPs. Although the mean submitted cost per patient visit was much higher for NRPs, total mean submitted costs per patient for RPs and NRPs were not significantly different. Even though NRPs underwent fewer procedures and had fewer clinic visits than did RPs, the procedures provided to NRPs were more complex and costly. As indicated by differences in the mix of dental care services provided to RPs vs. NRPs, continuity of primary oral health care for RPs led to a better oral health result at no increase in cost over that for NRPs. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings provide substantial evidence regarding the value of regular oral health care for people with HIV. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study reinforces the need for dentists to educate and encourage people with HIV to integrate regular oral health care into the ongoing maintenance of their overall health and well-being.     

用LogisitcL回归模型研究影响口腔保健需求的因素

目的：测量北京市城区居民牙科服务就诊概率的影响因素,建立口腔保健就诊概率模型,为预测未来口腔保健需求量,建立合理有效的口腔保健服务体系提供依据。方法：分层、整群、随机抽样北京市区实际人口中所有年龄组1517人进行调查,用LogisitcL回归建立口腔保健需求的第一部模型－就诊概率模型。结果：认识是影响就诊概率的最主要因素,R值为0．36,OR值为48．79。医生教师、7－14岁儿童、出现明显疼痛症状或影响功能疾病及社会经济因素对就诊概率有较大影响。结论：口腔卫生服务领域存在与医疗服务需求有所不同的作用机制。人们的牙科服务利用主要取决于其对疾病的认识以及收入和保障制度的高低。     

Oral health‐care utilization in adults with disabilities in Belgium

Leroy R, Declerck D. Oral health‐care utilization in adults with disabilities in Belgium.
Eur J Oral Sci 2013; 121: 36–42. © 2012 Eur J Oral Sci Reports on oral health‐service utilization among individuals with disabilities are very sparse. Nevertheless, such data are a prerequisite for the provision of proper care and for the development of optimal reimbursement schemes and may ultimately lead to better access to care. The objective of the present study was to provide data on oral health‐care utilization in Belgian residents with disabilities and to compare these data with the utilization pattern of their peers without special needs. Data from the Permanent Sample of Socially Insured Persons, an anonymous representative sample of Belgian residents, were used. The database contained prospective data on oral and general health‐care utilization and socio‐demographic variables from 1,221 individuals with disabilities and from 131,877 individuals without disabilities, collected from 2002 to 2008. Overall, annual dental‐attendance rates were very low and in those who attended, professional debridements, a cornerstone in preventive oral health care, were infrequently recorded. In adults with disabilities, significantly fewer radiographs, restorations, and endodontic treatments were recorded, whereas significantly more emergency visits were charged. Further research is indicated to evaluate whether this outcome points to high unmet oral‐treatment needs.     

Long-term prosthodontic follow-up and revisional treatment of patients with cleft lip and palate: case presentation

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the need for regular life-long follow-up care of cleft lip and palate patients to maintain adequate masticatory function, speech, and esthetics, thereby supporting psychosocial function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initial and revisional prosthodontic treatments over a period of 32 years in a patient with a bilateral cleft lip and palate are described. RESULTS: Despite an initial dentition of poor health and prognosis and suboptimal patient cooperation, it was possible to arrive at an improved clinical and radiologic state of oral health by the end of the observation period. CONCLUSION: Regular life-long prosthodontic follow-up with adequate maintenance and revisional treatments should be regarded as an essential part of the long-term care for subjects with clefts.     

Dental care access and unmet dental care needs among U.S. workers: the National Health Interview Survey, 1997 to 2003

BACKGROUND: Healthy People 2010 oral health objectives call for an increase in the proportion of adults who use the oral health care system annually. To assess progress toward this goal, the authors evaluated dental care utilization and the extent of unmet dental care needs of U.S. workers and their families. METHODS: The authors conducted sex-specific analyses by occupation of 135,004 U.S. worker participants in the nationally representative National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) conducted from 1997 to 2003. RESULTS: The reported lack of oral health care within the preceding year ranged from 18.9 to 57.8 percent among male workers and from 17.6 to 50.0 percent among female workers. Sex-specific occupational groups with the highest rates of reported unmet dental care needs included male health service occupations (17.1 percent) and female construction and extractive trade workers (26.8 percent). CONCLUSION: There are significant oral health care underutilization and high rates of unmet dental care needs among many U.S. worker groups. Strategies to increase regular dental visits for U.S. worker groups reporting low dental care access and high dental need are paramount. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Targeting strategic dental care access programs to identified U.S. worker groups reporting dental care access deficits can improve oral health.     

重庆市主城区学龄前儿童患龋情况及口腔卫生服务需要、利用情况和影响因素的研究

目的 对重庆市主城区学龄前儿童口腔健康状况及其口腔卫生服务的需要和口腔卫生服务实际利用情况进行调查,分析其可能的影响因素,为重庆地区有针对性开展学龄前儿童口腔预防保健工作提供参考。方法 参考第四次全国口腔健康流行病学调查实施方案,采用整群随机抽样的方法抽取主城9区中的3区12个街道24所幼儿园共1 300名3~4岁儿童进行口腔检查,并根据安德森卫生服务利用行为模型设计调查问卷并发放给家长填写。对口腔卫生服务利用情况采用卡方检验和logistic逐步回归分析。结果 重庆市主城区学龄前儿童患龋率为55.4%,龋失补牙面数为6 696,龋面均为5.2,龋齿充填构成比为2.3%。有效问卷共1 173份,结果显示过去1年治疗性口腔就诊率为6.31%（74/1 173）,预防性口腔就诊率为22.93%（269/1 173）。照顾者的受教育程度、受口腔问题困扰、每天何时刷牙和过去1年牙疼史为口腔就诊率的影响因素。结论 重庆市学龄前儿童的口腔卫生服务需要仍普遍,口腔卫生服务利用不足,口腔医疗保健任务仍然十分艰巨,应进一步制定有针对性的口腔预防政策。     

Medical health care professionals' assessments of oral health needs in children with disabilities: a qualitative study

Good collaboration between medical and dental care is essential to provide not only good oral health care, but also more holistic care for children with disabilities. The aim was to explore and describe medical health care professionals' assessments and considerations of orofacial problems and treatment needs in children with disabilities and in their families. In-depth interviews focusing on orofacial function were carried out with 17 medical health care employees. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed in open and focused (selective) coding processes according to grounded theory. A core category was identified and named focusing on basic needs, showing that oral health care assessment was not on the agenda of medical health care professionals, but was instead viewed as a responsibility of parents or dentists. This study shows that oral health issues are not fully integrated in the medical care of children with disabilities. The omission of oral health issues from the medical agenda implies a risk of oral health problems in children with disabilities. To put the oral cavity and oral health on the medical agenda, dentists need to influence the undergraduate training of medical professionals and to initiate co-operation with the medical care system.     

Oral health status of a long-term-care, veteran population

Abstract – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the largest, integrated health care system in the United States of America. The projected need for long-term-care in the VA health care system parallels an expected increase in need for care in the United States, but precedes the need for care in the general population by 25–30 yr. The VA's Office of Dentistry, in an effort to estimate the resource requirements of this swelling group of veterans, initiated in 1986–7 an oral health survey of long-term care patients. The overall goals were to describe the oral health status of VA nursing home care units (NHCU) residents and to develop a methodology for estimating future dental health services utilization. This study describes the oral health status of the study population. Demographic and oral health data were collected for 650 long-term care residents of six VA NHCUs between October 1986 and July 1987. Data were collected on sociodemographic status, medical history, dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral soft tissue pathology, and the presence of dental prostheses. Caries and periodontal disease were evaluated using the United States National Institute of Dental Research Survey of Employed Adults and Seniors protocols. The oral health status of the population is described using DMF and ESI indices, the prevalence of oral lesions, levels of tooth loss, oral hygiene scores, and the status of existing dentures. Findings show moderate levels of untreated dental caries and periodontal disease and significant tooth loss which increased with age. A need for preventive therapy, restorative dentistry, conservative periodontal therapy, and prosthodontic care was evident. Soft tissue oral pathologies were rare and frequently related to prostheses use. The subject's overall willingness for care was high. Subjects were found to have a high number of medical comorbidities, and one third of all subjects had to be excluded from the periodontal examination for medical reasons or non-cooperation.     

Education for geriatric oral health promotion

Dentate older adults need to be aware that restorative procedures completed in the past do not guarantee their oral health now or in the future. By building on the strengths of their current behaviors, the elderly may see change as more manageable and may accept it more readily. Educational approaches aimed at the edentulous older patient should focus on the need for preventative oral health care. Thirty thousand new cases of oral cancer are reported each year, and of those, 50% are in patients above the age of 65. Progressive bone resorption, decreased nutritional intake, and poor oral health affecting self-esteem to the point of withdrawal from social circles can all be avoided through periodic assessment and timely intervention.
All health care professionals must be educated in the role that are required of them as health team members. Initial exams of elderly patients should include assessment of not only the patient's oral health but also his/her ability to perform oral hygiene. An accurate assessment of the patient's needs, desires, and abilities will help to eliminate many of the misconceptions that the care provider may harbor. Clinical training in more thorough oral exams and in methods of effectively educating patients concerning oral health is a prudent step for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners. Effective educational presentations must be tailored to the targeted group of older adults; not all strategies will work for all elderly people.     

Improving oral health for people with special needs through community-based dental care delivery systems.

A community-based dental care delivery system is described. This system has been used in a number of communities in California to improve oral health for people with special needs. It includes oral health assessment, coalition building, development and networking of local resources, training of dental professionals, and utilization of preventive dentistry training materials. Also discussed are challenges of the future that will need to be met to continue to make oral health a priority and reality for people with special needs in California.     

The patient with a heart murmur: evaluation, assessment and dental considerations

BACKGROUND: Heart murmurs, a common finding in dental patients, are of major concern to dental professionals because certain dental procedures occasionally can induce severe cardiovascular complications. Murmurs may indicate existing heart disease that is a risk factor for infective endocarditis following a dental procedure, as well as more severe heart conditions such as congenital heart disease, atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: This review article is based on data published in peer-reviewed journals, including practice guidelines published by major dental and medical professional organizations. RESULTS: Echocardiography is the primary means of evaluating heart murmurs, and all dental professionals should become familiar with major aspects of an echocardiogram. Understanding the medical evaluation and assessment of a heart murmur fosters better communication with other health care professionals and results in improved patient care. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Beyond the need to administer antibiotic prophylaxis, the dentist also needs to address the underlying causes of a patient's heart murmur. By providing dental care to such patients, oral health care providers become part of the patient's overall health care team.