Variations in Use of Preventative Dental Services Among Diabetic US Adults, Evidence from the BRFSS, 2010

Objectives: Diabetes has been linked to a number of diseases including strokes and heart disease, and diabetes has also been linked to oral health. Prevention of diabetes related oral complications can be achieved through frequent use of dental health services, such as teeth cleaning which can ensure the preservation of teeth. This can further improve the self-esteem, nutritional intake, glucose metabolism, general health and overall quality of life. We examine variations in use of dental services, and identify systemic barriers to the use of dental health services by American diabetic adults. Methods: Data from the 2008 (n=47,402) and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n= 57,868) were weighted and analyzed using STATA 12 for Windows. Frequency distributions were generated for categorical variables. Cross-tabulations were performed to assess for associations between the covariates and dental services utilization. Multiple logistic regression models were also estimated. Results: Preliminary results suggest that, education, employment, income, overweight, cigarette smoking, general health status lack of exercise, race and ethnicity and age are significant predictors (p <0.05) of dental health services utilization. Conclusion: Use of dental health services among diabetes appears to be associated the income, general health status, age, and overweightness.