ArticleBMC oral health2020
Dental expenditure, progressivity and horizontal inequality in Chinese adults: based on the 4th National Oral Health Epidemiology Survey.
Article in BMC oral health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Barriers to dental service utilization in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC oral health · 2026Pooled it
- Pediatric Dental Education in China: Current Status, Challenges, and Pathways to Improvement-A Narrative Review.Dentistry journal · 2026Review
- Public preferences for preventative dental care: a discrete choice experiment in China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Development and internal validation of a risk prediction model for oral frailty in hospitalized older adults with chronic diseases.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Chewing ability and its associated factors in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Feasibility of salivary lipid screening for caries biomarkers in young adults.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Causal relationship between gut microbiota and dental caries: a two-sample mendelian randomization study.BDJ open · 2025Article
- From Clinics to Communities: Understanding Public Perceptions of Dental Services in Pakistan.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Host sweet preference modulates the salivary microbiome and its divergent associations with plaque-associated and non-plaque-related oral diseases.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Article
- Current status and influencing factors of missing appointments in patients with periodontitis: a cross-sectional study.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- Article
- Association of oral health with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older Chinese adults: A 14-year follow-up of the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort study.Journal of global health · 2024Article
- The transcultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of the Oral Health Literacy Scale for Diabetic Patients.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- An analysis of the current status of geriatric oral disease treatment-a dental institutions-based perspective.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Patients' Preferences for the Treatment of a Single Missing Tooth in China: A Discrete Choice Experiment.Patient preference and adherence · 2024Article
- Longitudinal association of edentulism with cognitive impairment, sarcopenia and all-cause mortality among older Chinese adults.BMC oral health · 2023Article
- Analysis of epidemiological trends of and associated factors for tooth loss among 35- to 44-year-old adults in Guangdong, Southern China, 1995-2015: a population-based cross-sectional survey.BMC oral health · 2023Article
- Pathway of Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Rural Left-behind Children to Receive Oral Health Services: A Structural Equation Modeling.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Income-related inequality and decomposition of edentulism among aged people in China.BMC oral health · 2022Article
- What makes inequality in the area of dental and oral health in developing countries? A scoping review.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2021Article
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Abstract
backgroundThe financial burden of oral diseases is a growing concern as the medical expenses rise worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the dental expenditure, analyze its progressivity and horizontal inequality under the general health finance and insurance system, and identify the key social determinants of the inequality for Chinese adults.
methodsA secondary analysis used the data of 13,464 adults from the 4th National Oral Health Epidemiological Survey (NOHES) in China was undertaken. The dental expenditure was collected and divided into out-of-pocket and health insurance payments. Horizontal inequality index and Kakwani index were used to analyze the horizontal inequality and progressivity, respectively. The decomposition model of the concentration index was set up to explore the associated socioeconomic determinants.
resultsThe results showed that a mean dental expenditure per capita of Chinese adults was $20.55 (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 18.83,22.26). Among those who actually used dental service, the cost was $100.95 (95%CI: 93.22,108.68). Over 90% of dental spending was due to out-of-pocket expenses. For self-reported oral health, the horizontal inequality index was - 0.1391 and for the decayed tooth (DT), it was - 0.2252. For out-of-pocket payment, the Kakwani index was - 0.3154 and for health insurance payment it was - 0.1598. Income, residential location, educational attainment, oral hygiene practice, self-reported oral health, age difference were the main contributors to the inequality of dental expenditure.
conclusionDental expenditure for Chinese adults was at a lower level due to underutilization. The ratio of payments of dental expenditure and utilization was disproportional, whether it was out-of-pocket or insurance payment. Individuals who were more in need of oral care showed less demand for service or not required service in time. For future policy making on oral health, it is worth the effort to further promote the awareness of the importance of oral health and utilization of dental service.
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