Edentulism and Insurance Status in Massachusetts

Purpose: The correlation between insurance status and edentulism has been well establish. However, it has not previously been reported in a population with known access to a dentist. This study investigated patient demographics of a former dental franchise in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and examined a correlation between dental insurance and edentulism in this group. The correlation of edentulism with age, gender, and dental risk factors (diabetes, temporomandibular disorder, trouble with previous dental work, or oral sores and ulcers), was also examined.

Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective case study. Age, gender, and presence of dental risk factors were recorded from the patient medical history intake form. Dentate status was recorded from patient dental records. Dental insurance status was obtained from billing records. Data were aggregated and deidentified. Descriptive and bivariate statistics and logistic regression models were used to identify associations (p-value <.05 significance).

Results: Of 1,123 records meeting inclusion criteria, 52.54% of patients had dental insurance, 26.27% had at least one dental risk factor, and 18.17% were edentulous. Age and insurance status were significantly correlated with edentulism. Correcting for age, individuals without insurance were 1.56 times as likely to be edentulous.

Conclusion: This case study provides insight into patient demographics that might seek care in a corporate setting and suggest access to a dentist alone may not be adequate in preserving the adult dentition; dental insurance may also be important to health. As the corporate dental practice model continues to grow, these topics deserve further study.