Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41546439›Full record

ArticleJournal of public health dentistry2026

Socioeconomic Status and Dental Care Utilization in Older Adults: A Comparison Between Australia and Japan.

Urara Taguchi, My Tran, Sachiko Ono, Paul Kowal, Jun Aida, Kazuto Hoshi, Tomoko Sugiura

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of public health dentistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Urara TaguchiDepartment of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6240-5197
My TranNational Centre for Health Workforce Studies, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Law, Governance and Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9839-6247
Sachiko OnoDepartment of Eat-Loss Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Paul KowalNational Centre for Health Workforce Studies, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Law, Governance and Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
Jun AidaDepartment of Dental Public Health, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Kazuto HoshiDepartment of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Tomoko SugiuraNational Centre for Health Workforce Studies, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, College of Law, Governance and Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Funding

Health Labour Sciences Research Grants 19FA1012Health Labour Sciences Research Grants 19FA2001Health Labour Sciences Research Grants 21FA1012Health Labour Sciences Research Grants 22FA1010Health Labour Sciences Research Grants 22FA2001Health Labour Sciences Research Grants 22FG2001Japan Science and Technology AgencyJapan Society for the Promotion of Science 20H00557Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 20K10540Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 21H03196Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 21K17302Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 21K19635Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 22H00934JST SPRING JPMJSP2108Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society JPMJOP1831
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWith the growing emphasis on incorporating dental care into universal health coverage (UHC) worldwide, it is essential to understand the extent to which UHC can improve access to needed health services without financial hardship. Dental care services should be included in monitoring progress toward UHC, but are often left out, even in countries with UHC. This study will compare socioeconomics-related inequalities in dental care utilization among older Australians and Japanese, who experience contrasting universal dental insurance systems.

methodsWe used data from Australia and Japan to estimate socioeconomics-related inequalities in dental care utilization as the Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and the Relative Index of Inequality (RII) for community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older. Socioeconomic status was measured using equivalized income and educational attainment. Dental care utilization was defined as visiting a dentist within the past 12 months.

resultsThe study included 6104 Australian participants (mean age 73.8 years) and 19,043 Japanese participants (mean age 74.9 years). Income-related inequalities in dental care utilization were higher in Australia [SII (0.22, 95% CI = 0.18-0.27); RII (1.48, 95% CI = 1.36-1.59)] than in Japan [SII (0.16, 95% CI = 0.14-0.19); RII (1.28, 95% CI = 1.24-1.33)]. We found a similar pattern in educational attainment.

conclusionsNotwithstanding the differences between the two dental care systems, the lack of UHC in dental care in Australia may be a contributing factor to greater inequalities in dental care utilization among older adults.

Indexed as

Dental CareDental Care for AgedSocial ClassAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaFemaleHealthcare DisparitiesHumansJapanMaleSocioeconomic Disparities in HealthAustraliadental care for ageddental care utilizationdental insuranceJapansocioeconomic status

Identifiers

PMID41546439
PMCPMC12972269

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.