Utilization of Preventive Dental Services Before and After Health Insurance Covered Dental Scaling in Korea

Abstract

Health insurance reduces the economic burden of diseases and enhances access to medical services. This study compared, among social classes, the utilization of preventive dental service before and after health insurance covered dental scaling. We analyzed time-series secondary data for 3 175 584 participants from 253 survey areas nationwide in the Community Health Survey (2009-2014) in Korea. The weighted proportion of participants who underwent dental scaling was defined as the scaling rate. Data regarding demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were collected. Scaling rates continuously increased over the 6-year period, particularly in 2014. College graduates had significantly higher scaling rates. Monthly income and scaling rate were positively related. Differences by education decreased over time. Differences by income were particularly high between 2012 and 2014. For women, the temporal rate was 2 times higher for professionals than for the unemployed. Despite increased dental scaling rates since the health coverage change in 2013, socioeconomic differences persist.

Did the Expansion of Insurance Coverage for Oral Health Reduce Self-reported Oral Health Inequalities in Korea? Results of Repeated Cross-Sectional Analysis, 2007–2015

“…28,29 Men did not appear to use dental services more often after the health insurance expansion. 6 Annual dental scaling has been covered by insurance since 2013 for everyone aged ≥20 years. Although dental scaling visits remain more common among high socioeconomic groups, 6 all outpatient dental visits have been reported to increase among middle-aged Koreans after the insurance expansion.…”

“…6 Annual dental scaling has been covered by insurance since 2013 for everyone aged ≥20 years. Although dental scaling visits remain more common among high socioeconomic groups, 6 all outpatient dental visits have been reported to increase among middle-aged Koreans after the insurance expansion. 5 We verified that dental service utilization increased as a result of reduced OOP expenses.…”

“…[2][3][4] Further work is required to verify whether dental health insurance affects inequalities in oral health beyond access to dental care. Studies conducted in the aftermath of the insurance expansion confirmed that access to dental service was improved [5][6][7] ; however, disparities in access to services remained. 6,8,9 Currently, few studies have evaluated whether the dental health insurance expansion improved oral health inequalities (not just service access).…”

Influence of dental insurance coverage on access to preventive periodontal care in middle-aged and elderly populations: analysis of representative Korean Community Health Survey Data (2011–2015)

“…According to a recent report on the outcomes of this insurance policy, the number of residents who underwent dental scaling increased by 10%. However, scaling is more common in populations with higher incomes, education and occupational status, even after the introduction of insurance coverage.…”

Trends in the utilization of dental outpatient services affected by the expansion of health care benefits in South Korea to include scaling: a 6-year interrupted time-series study

“…Previous studies have confirmed that this national intervention to increase the provision of dental care positively impacted access to dental care within the Korean population. Jang et al [ 5 ] showed that the dental scaling rate increased nationally over a recent 6-year period, particularly in 2014; this was likely a result of changes in the national health coverage of dental scaling. Park et al [ 3 ] examined the impact of changes in coverage for KNHI dental benefits, including scaling.…”