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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
New Report Shows Fewer Senior Citizens Visit Dentist
Than Do Baby Boomers
Income level, insurance large factors in frequency
of dental visits
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Annual
dental visits by age - 2004 |
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Nov. 9, 2007 – Somewhat surprisingly, the
percentage of senior citizens visiting the dentist at least once a year
does not vary much from that of younger people, according to a report on
2004 by the Agency for Healthcare Research. Baby boomers, in fact, are
more likely to get dental help, but the results may be tilted because
they exclude Americans living in institutions, which eliminate a larger
number of the elderly living in care facilities.
About 49% of adults (45-64 year olds – mostly
boomers) and 43% of older adults (age 65 and over) had at least one
dental visit during 2004. Forty-four percent of the general population
saw a dentist that year.
Among older adults, approximately 46% age 65-74 and
39% age 75 and over had at least one dental visit in 2004.
These percentages were pretty similar even for the
youngest Americans. Approximately 45% of children and adolescents (less
than age 21) and 39% of young adults (21-44 year olds) had at least one
dental visit during the year.
Overall, there was no change in the percentage of
the population with a dental visit from 1996 to 2004.
This report presents data from the 1996 and 2004
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which is sponsored by AHRQ, on
dental use and dental coverage for the U.S civilian
non-institutionalized (community) population.
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Annual dental
visits by family income - 2004 |
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More Visits by Those of Higher Incomes
Most senior citizens, approximately 70%, did not
have any dental insurance coverage in 2004. This would certainly be a
factor in the statistics showing 60% of older adults from a high-income
family had at least one dental visit during the year, while less than
31% of older adults from a poor or low-income family had a visit.
But, again, the statistics for the elderly are
about like those for younger people. Although 58% of persons from a high
income family had at least one dental visit during the year, only 30% of
persons from a family with low income had a visit.
Dental coverage is clearly an incentive for
visiting the dentist. While 57% of those with private dental coverage
had a visit during 2004, 32% with public dental coverage only and 27%
with no dental coverage had a visit.
Cost of a Visit Increases from 1996
For senior citizens, the average annual dental
expenses increased from $438 ($527 adjusted for inflation) in 1996 to
$620 in 2004. The cost in 2004 was slightly less for younger people - an
average annual expense of $560.
The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers summary are
taken from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a detailed source of
information on the health services used by Americans, the frequency with
which they are used, the cost of those services, and how they are paid.
>> For more information, go to
Dental Use, Expenses, Dental Coverage, and Changes, 1996 and 2004
AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, works to enhance the quality, safety,
efficiency, and effectiveness of health care in the United States.
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