Dataset Information

Does preventive dental care reduce nonpreventive dental visits and expenditures among Medicaid-enrolled adults?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether preventive dental visits are associated with fewer subsequent nonpreventive dental visits and lower dental expenditures.

Data sources

Indiana Medicaid enrollment and claims data (2015-2018) and the Area Health Resource File.

Study design

A repeated measures design with individual and year fixed effects examining the relationship between preventive dental visits (PDVs) and nonpreventive dental visits (NPVs) and dental expenditures.

Data collection/extraction methods

Not applicable.

Principal findings

Of 28,152 adults (108,349 observation-years) meeting inclusion criteria, 36.0% had a dental visit, 27.8% a PDV, and 22.1% a NPV. Compared to no PDV in the prior year, at least one was associated with fewer NPVs (β = -0.13; 95% CI -0.12, -0.11), lower NPV expenditures (β = -$29.12.53; 95% CI -28.07, -21.05), and lower total dental expenditures (-$70.12; 95% -74.92, -65.31), as well as fewer PDVs (β = -0.24; 95% CI -0.26, -0.23).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that prior year PDVs are associated with fewer subsequent NPVs and lower dental expenditures among Medicaid-enrolled adults. Thus, from a public insurance program standpoint, supporting preventive dental care use may translate into improved population oral health outcomes and lower dental costs among certain low-income adult populations, but barriers to consistent utilization of PDV prohibit definitive findings.

SUBMITTER: Taylor HL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9643079 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Does preventive dental care reduce nonpreventive dental visits and expenditures among Medicaid-enrolled adults?

Taylor Heather L HL Sen Bisakha B Holmes Ann M AM Schleyer Titus T Menachemi Nir N Blackburn Justin J

Health services research 20220426 6

<h4>Objective</h4>To determine whether preventive dental visits are associated with fewer subsequent nonpreventive dental visits and lower dental expenditures.<h4>Data sources</h4>Indiana Medicaid enrollment and claims data (2015-2018) and the Area Health Resource File.<h4>Study design</h4>A repeated measures design with individual and year fixed effects examining the relationship between preventive dental visits (PDVs) and nonpreventive dental visits (NPVs) and dental expenditures.<h4>Data coll ...[more]

PMID: 35419826

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Dataset Information

Does preventive dental care reduce nonpreventive dental visits and expenditures among Medicaid-enrolled adults?

Objective

Data sources

Study design

Data collection/extraction methods

Principal findings

Conclusions

Publications

Does preventive dental care reduce nonpreventive dental visits and expenditures among Medicaid-enrolled adults?

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