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Is Accessing Dental Care Becoming More Difficult? Evidence from Canada's Middle-Income Population

Author

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  • Chantel Ramraj
  • Laleh Sadeghi
  • Herenia P Lawrence
  • Laura Dempster
  • Carlos Quiñonez

Abstract

Objective: To explore trends in access to dental care among middle-income Canadians. Methods: A secondary data analysis of six Canadian surveys that collected information on dental insurance coverage, cost-barriers to dental care, and out-of-pocket expenditures for dental care was conducted for select years from 1978 to 2009. Descriptive analyses were used to outline and compare trends among middle-income Canadians with other levels of income as well as national averages. Results: By 2009, middle-income Canadians had the lowest levels of dental insurance coverage (48.7%) compared to all other income groups. They reported the greatest increase in cost-barriers to dental care, from 12.6% in 1996 to 34.1% by 2009. Middle-income Canadians had the largest rise in out-of-pocket expenditures for dental care since 1978. Conclusions: This study suggests that affordability issues in accessing dental care are no longer just a problem for the lowest income groups in Canada, but are now impacting middle-income earners as a consequence of their lack of, or decreased access to, comprehensive dental insurance.

Suggested Citation

  • Chantel Ramraj & Laleh Sadeghi & Herenia P Lawrence & Laura Dempster & Carlos Quiñonez, 2013. "Is Accessing Dental Care Becoming More Difficult? Evidence from Canada's Middle-Income Population," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(2), pages 1-6, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0057377
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057377
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wen-Hao Chen & John Myles & Garnett Picot, 2012. "Why Have Poorer Neighbourhoods Stagnated Economically while the Richer Have Flourished? Neighbourhood Income Inequality in Canadian Cities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(4), pages 877-896, March.
    2. Manski, R.J. & Goodman, H.S. & Reid, B.C. & Macek, M.D., 2004. "Dental Insurance Visits and Expenditures among Older Adults," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(5), pages 759-764.
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    Cited by:

    1. Carolin Walther & Ghazal Aarabi & Richelle Valdez & Kristin Spinler & Guido Heydecke & Elzbieta Buczak-Stec & Hans-Helmut König & André Hajek, 2021. "Postponed Dental Appointments Due to Costs Are Associated with Increased Loneliness—Evidence from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-8, January.
    2. Thomas Christopher Lange, 2020. "Starting from Scratch: A Micro-Costing Analysis for Public Dental Care in Canada," SPP Technical Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 13(22), June.

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