Out-Of-Pocket Expenditures on Dental Care for Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 12 Years: A Cross-Sectional Estimate in a Less-Developed Country Setting

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this study was to estimate the Out-Of-Pocket Expenditures (OOPEs) incurred by households on dental care, as well as to analyze the sociodemographic, economic, and oral health factors associated with such expenditures. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 763 schoolchildren in Mexico. A questionnaire was distributed to parents to determine the variables related to OOPEs on dental care. The amounts were updated in 2017 in Mexican pesos and later converted to 2017 international dollars (purchasing power parities–PPP US $). Multivariate models were created: a linear regression model (which modeled the amount of OOPEs), and a logistic regression model (which modeled the likelihood of incurring OOPEs). Results: The OOPEs on dental care for the 763 schoolchildren were PPP US $53,578, averaging a PPP of US $70.2 ± 123.7 per child. Disbursements for treatment were the principal item within the OOPEs. The factors associated with OOPEs were the child’s age, number of dental visits, previous dental pain, main reason for dental visit, educational level of mother, type of health insurance, household car ownership, and socioeconomic position. Conclusions: The average cost of dental care was PPP US $70.2 ± 123.7. Our study shows that households with higher school-aged children exhibiting the highest report of dental morbidity—as well as those without insurance—face the highest OOPEs. An array of variables were associated with higher expenditures. In general, higher-income households spent more on dental care. However, the present study did not estimate unmet needs across the socioeconomic gradient, and thus, future research is needed to fully ascertain disease burden.

Are parents’ education levels associated with either their oral health knowledge or their children’s oral health behaviors? A survey of 8446 families in Wuhan

“…Another limitation was the lack of information on sociodemographic variables (e.g. household income [13,14] and living conditions [32][33][34]), as such information were not included in our questionnaire and therefore not adjusted in our analysis. Further studies are recommended to verify the results of our study on the basis of adjustment for the above-mentioned factors.…”

Clinical and non-clinical variables associated with preventive and curative dental service utilisation: a cross-sectional study among adolescents and young adults in Central Mexico

“…Finally, dozens of dental school clinics at numerous public and private universities offer dental services at greatly reduced prices. Dental insurance schemes, as commonly known in developed economies whereby dental offices accept payments, claims and reimbursements from dental insurance carriers, are essentially non-existent 8 11 22…”

“…For example, dental services offered in the public sector provide only a limited variety of services (mainly sealants, tooth extractions and some preventive care). In addition, access to dental services is restricted to patients by excluding most specialised treatments (such as orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, prosthetics and so on) from publicly funded health systems 8–11. Such limited coverage leads to patients having to bear the full cost for care provided through private dental services; this limitation causes considerable, sometimes unaffordable, out-of-pocket expenses.…”

“…Such limited coverage leads to patients having to bear the full cost for care provided through private dental services; this limitation causes considerable, sometimes unaffordable, out-of-pocket expenses. These situations occasionally incur catastrophic expenses 8 11…”

Leche humana y su efecto sobre la mineralización del esmalte: revisión de literatura

“…En México, a los 6 años, la caries dental en la dentición primaria alcanza valores, de los índices de ceod, que van de 0.73 a 5.35 y prevalencias (18) entre el 26.3% a 77.5% . Por lo que también en México se trata del principal problema de salud pública bucal, ya que tiene diversos impactos en las (19)(20)(21)(22) personas, familias y el sistema de salud .…”