Oral health care utilization by US rural residents, National Health Interview Survey 1999.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the dental care utilization practices of rural and urban residents in the United States.


METHODS
Data on dental care utilization from the 1999 National Health Interview Survey for persons 2 years of age and older (n=42, 139) were analyzed by rural/urban status. Percentages and 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated to produce national estimates for having had a visit in the past year, the number of visits, reasons given for last dental visit and for not visiting a dentist, unmet dental needs, and private dental insurance.


RESULTS
Rural residents were more likely to report that their last dental visit was because something was "bothering or hurting" (23.3% vs 17.6%) and that they had unmet dental needs (10.1% vs 7.5%). Urban residents were more likely to report having a dental visit in the past year (57.7% vs 66.5%) and having private dental insurance (32.7% vs 37.2%), compared to rural residents. There were no significant differences in most reasons given for not visiting the dentist between rural and urban respondents.


CONCLUSIONS
Dental care utilization characteristics differ between rural and urban residents in the United States, with rural residents tending to underutilize dental care.
Vargas
Clemencia M
CM
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Maryland Dental School, 666 West Baltimore Street, Room 3-E-11, Baltimore, MD 21201-1586, USA. cmv001@dental.umaryland.edu
Dye
Bruce A
BA
Hayes
Kathy
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data