title: Factors associated with unmet dental care needs in Canadian immigrants: an analysis of the longitudinal survey of immigrants to Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immigrants are often considered to have poorer oral health than native born-populations. One possible explanation for immigrants' poor oral health is lack of access to dental care. There is very little information on Canadian immigrants' access to dental care, and unmet dental care needs. This study examines predictors of unmet dental care needs among a sample of adult immigrants to Canada over a three-point-five-year post-migration period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A secondary data analysis was conducted on the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC). Sampling and bootstrap weights were applied to make the data nationally representative. Simple descriptive analyses were conducted to describe the demographic characteristics of the sample. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were applied to identify factors associated with immigrants' unmet dental care needs over a three-point-five-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 32% of immigrants reported unmet dental care needs. Immigrants lacking dental insurance (OR = 2.63; 95% CI: 2.05-3.37), and those with an average household income of $20,000 to $40,000 per year (OR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.01-2.61), and lower than $20,000 (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.31-3.86), were more likely to report unmet dental care needs than those earning more than $60,000 per year. In addition, South Asian (OR = 1.85; CI: 1.25-2.73) and Chinese (OR = 2.17; CI: 1.47-3.21) immigrants had significantly higher odds of reporting unmet dental care needs than Europeans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lack of dental insurance, low income and ethnicity predicted unmet dental care needs over a three-point-five-year period in a sample of immigrants to Canada.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry & Global Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. paola.calvasina@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calvasina
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muntaner
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quiñonez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001211:Asia, Western / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002170:Canada; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D004651:Employment; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007347:Insurance, Dental; D007802:Language; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009909:Oral Health; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D012945:Social Values; D055815:Young Adult