National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Access to Care (7)
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- Long-Term Care (2)
- Low-Income (1)
- Medicaid (7)
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- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (5)
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- Medication: Safety (1)
- Nursing Homes (3)
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- Opioids (4)
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- Quality of Life (1)
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- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (2)
AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 30 Research Studies DisplayedChou R, Selph SS, Bougatsos C
Screening, referral, behavioral counseling, and preventive interventions for oral health in adults: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic evidence review on the effectiveness of primary care screening and prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease in adults to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. The main outcomes were dental caries, periodontal disease, morbidity, quality of life, harms; and diagnostic test accuracy. Five randomized clinical trials, 5 nonrandomized trials, and 6 observational studies with a total 3,300 participants were included. There were no trials that evaluated primary care counseling or dental referral. There was very limited evidence on screening accuracy, silver diamine fluoride, xylitol; and harms were very limited, although serious harms were not reported. One small study (n = 86) found oral health examination by 2 primary care clinicians associated with low sensitivity and high specificity for periodontal disease and with variable sensitivity and high specificity for dental caries. Four studies (n = 965) found screening questionnaires associated with a pooled sensitivity of 0.72 and specificity of 0.74 for periodontal disease. For preventive interventions there were no studies that evaluated primary care counseling or dental referral, and evidence from 2 poor-quality trials (n = 178) of sealants, and 1 fair-quality and 4 poor-quality trials (n = 971) of topical fluorides, was found to be insufficient. Three fair-quality trials (n = 590) of persons with mean age 72 to 80 years found silver diamine fluoride solution associated with fewer new root caries lesions or fillings vs placebo (mean reduction, -0.33 to -1.3) and decreased likelihood of new root caries lesion (2 trials). There were no trials that evaluated primary care-administered preventive interventions.
AHRQ-funded; 75Q80120D00006.
Citation: Chou R, Selph SS, Bougatsos C .
Screening, referral, behavioral counseling, and preventive interventions for oral health in adults: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
JAMA 2023 Nov 14; 330(18):1780-90. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.20685..
Keywords: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Screening, Dental and Oral Health, Prevention, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines
Chou R, Bougatsos C, Griffin J
Screening, referral, behavioral counseling, and preventive interventions for oral health in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic evidence review on the effectiveness of primary care screening and prevention of dental caries in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. The main outcomes were dental caries, morbidity, functional status, quality of life, harms; and diagnostic test accuracy. Three systematic reviews with a total of 20,684 participants were included along with 19 randomized clinical trials, 3 nonrandomized trials, and 1 observational study with a total of 15,026 participants. When administered by dental professionals or in school settings, fluoride supplements compared with placebo or no intervention were associated with decreased change from baseline in the number of decayed, missing, or filled permanent teeth (DMFT index) or decayed or filled permanent teeth (DFT index) at 1.5 to 3 years (6 trials; n = 1395). Fluoride gels were associated with a DMFT- or DFT-prevented fraction of 0.18 at outcomes closest to 3 years (4 trials; n = 1525); fluoride varnish was associated with a DMFT- or DFT-prevented fraction of 0.44 at 1 to 4.5 years (5 trials; n = 3902); and resin-based sealants were associated with decreased risk of carious first molars at 48 to 54 months (4 trials; n = 440). There were no trials that evaluated primary care counseling or dental referral. There was very limited evidence on screening accuracy, silver diamine fluoride, xylitol; and harms were very limited, although serious harms were not reported.
AHRQ-funded; 75Q80120D00006.
Citation: Chou R, Bougatsos C, Griffin J .
Screening, referral, behavioral counseling, and preventive interventions for oral health in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
JAMA 2023 Nov 7; 330(17):1674-86. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.20435..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Screening, Prevention, Evidence-Based Practice, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Guidelines
Ramanathan S, Yan CH, Hubbard C
Changes in antibiotic prescribing by dentists in the United States, 2012-2019.
Dentists are the top specialty prescriber of antibiotics in the United States, prescribing 10% of all outpatient antibiotics. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess trends in the rates of antibiotic prescribing by dentists. The researchers also evaluated if trends varied by agent, specialty, and patient characteristics. The study found that between 2012 and 2019 dentists wrote more than 216 million antibiotic prescriptions. The annual rate of dental antibiotic prescribing remained steady over time. However, the dental prescribing rate increased in the Northeast, among oral and maxillofacial surgeons, prosthodontists, endodontists, periodontists, and for amoxicillin. The mean days' supply significantly decreased over the study period by 0.023 days per 1,000 dentists per year.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Ramanathan S, Yan CH, Hubbard C .
Changes in antibiotic prescribing by dentists in the United States, 2012-2019.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Nov; 44(11):1725-30. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.151..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Dental and Oral Health
Yan CH, Hubbard CC, Lee TA
Impact of hydrocodone rescheduling on dental prescribing of opioids.
In 2014, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration rescheduled hydrocodone’s controlled substance schedule from III to II, introducing increasing regulations in prescribing and dispensing. In the U.S., dentists often prescribe hydrocodone, and these changes in scheduling may have altered dental prescribing of opioids. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the hydrocodone rescheduling on dental prescribing of opioids in the United States. Across the 49-month study period, dentists prescribed 50,412,942 opioid prescriptions. Hydrocodone was the most prescribed opioid, followed by codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol. At index, hydrocodone prescribing immediately decreased by -834.8 Rx/1,000 dentists with increased prescribing of codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol. The mean MME increased at index for all opioids except for hydrocodone, and dosages subsequently decreased during the postindex period.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Yan CH, Hubbard CC, Lee TA .
Impact of hydrocodone rescheduling on dental prescribing of opioids.
JDR Clin Trans Res 2023 Oct; 8(4):402-12. doi: 10.1177/23800844221102830..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Dental and Oral Health, Practice Patterns
Kalenderian E, Bangar S, Yansane A
Identifying contributing factors associated with dental adverse events through a pragmatic electronic health record-based root cause analysis.
This study’s objective was to analyze harmful dental adverse events (AEs) to assess potential contributing factors. Harmful AEs were defined as those that resulted in temporary moderate to severe harm, required hospitalization, or resulted in permanent moderate to severe harm. The authors classified potential contributing factors according to (1) who was involved (person), (2) what were they doing (tasks), (3) what tools/technologies were they using (tools/technologies), (4) where did the event take place (environment), (5) what organizational conditions contributed to the event? (organization), (6) patient (including parents), and (7) professional-professional collaboration. A second review was conducted by a blinded panel of dental experts to confirm the presence of an AE. A total of 59 cases at 2 dental institutions had 1 or more harmful AEs. The most common harmful AE was pain (27.1%) followed by nerve injury (16.9%), hard tissue injury (15.2%), and soft tissue injury (15.2%). The most common contribution factor was the care provider (training, supervision, and fatigue at 31.5%) followed by patient ((noncompliance, unsafe practices at home, low health literacy, 17.1%), and professional-professional collaboration (15.3%).
AHRQ-funded; HS027268.
Citation: Kalenderian E, Bangar S, Yansane A .
Identifying contributing factors associated with dental adverse events through a pragmatic electronic health record-based root cause analysis.
J Patient Saf 2023 Aug 1; 19(5):305-12. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000001122..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Adverse Events, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Medical Errors, Patient Safety
Ramanathan S, Evans CT, Hershow RC
Comparison of guideline concordant antibiotic prophylaxis in Veterans Affairs and non-Veterans Affairs dental settings among those with cardiac conditions or prosthetic joints.
The objective of this retrospective study was to compare prescribing of antibiotic prophylaxis in Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA settings. Subjects were veteran and non-veteran dental patients with cardiac conditions or prosthetic joints; most were males aged 55 years older. The results showed that VA settings had a higher prevalence of guideline concordant prescribing among those with prosthetic joints, and when assessing dosing errors. The authors recommended that future studies focus on the extent to which integrated electronic health records may be responsible for increased guideline concordant prescribing in the VA setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Ramanathan S, Evans CT, Hershow RC .
Comparison of guideline concordant antibiotic prophylaxis in Veterans Affairs and non-Veterans Affairs dental settings among those with cardiac conditions or prosthetic joints.
BMC Infect Dis 2023 Jun 23; 23(1):427. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08400-y..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Antibiotics, Medication, Prevention, Cardiovascular Conditions, Practice Patterns
Roberts ET, Mellor JM, McInerny MP
Effects of a Medicaid dental coverage "cliff" on dental care access among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare beneficiaries with income levels slightly exceeding the thresholds of eligibility for Medicaid have few affordable options for dental coverage. This gap results in a dental coverage “cliff” above these thresholds. The purpose of this study was to assess how a sudden drop-off in dental coverage from Medicaid impacts access to dental care in low-income Medicare beneficiaries. The researchers studied low-income community resident Medicare recipients whose incomes were within approximately 75 percentage points of state-specific Medicaid income eligibility thresholds. The study found that Medicare beneficiaries whose income was higher than Medicaid eligibility thresholds were 5.0 percentage points more likely to report challenges accessing dental care because of cost concerns or a lack of insurance than beneficiaries below the thresholds.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727; HS025422.
Citation: Roberts ET, Mellor JM, McInerny MP .
Effects of a Medicaid dental coverage "cliff" on dental care access among low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Health Serv Res 2023 Jun; 58(3):589-98. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13981..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Kim KC, Khouja T, Burgette JM
Trends in dispensed prescriptions for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children by general dentists, 2012-2019.
This study examined trends in prescription fills for opioids, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children <18 years from 2012 to 2019 in a national dataset comprising 92% of dispensed outpatient prescriptions by dentists. During this time, 3.8 million children filled prescriptions for high-alert drugs from general dentists. Opioids accounts for 69.4% of high-alert prescriptions, however from 2012 to 2019 fills for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, and stimulants decreased by 65.2%, 43.4%, 43.6% and 89.3%, respectively. Gabapentin prescriptions increased by 8.1%. Older teenagers (15-17 years) received 42.5% of high-alert prescriptions. Low-income counties in Southern states were overrepresented among top-prescribing areas in 2019.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Kim KC, Khouja T, Burgette JM .
Trends in dispensed prescriptions for opioids, sedatives, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, and stimulants to children by general dentists, 2012-2019.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2023 Jun; 32(6):625-34. doi: 10.1002/pds.5589..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns
Yansane A, Lee JH, Hebballi N
Assessing the patient safety culture in dentistry.
Medical errors are among the leading causes of death within the United States. Studies have shown that patients can be harmed while receiving care, sometimes resulting in permanent injury or, in extreme cases, death. To reduce the risk of patient safety incidents, it is imperative that a robust culture of safety be established. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the patient safety culture among providers at 4 US dental institutions, comparing the results with their medical counterparts in 2016.
AHRQ-funded; HS024406.
Citation: Yansane A, Lee JH, Hebballi N .
Assessing the patient safety culture in dentistry.
JDR Clin Trans Res 2020 Oct;5(4):399-408. doi: 10.1177/2380084419897614..
Keywords: Surveys on Patient Safety Culture, Patient Safety, Dental and Oral Health, Provider, Medical Errors, Adverse Events
Khouja T, Burgette JM, Donohue JM
Association between Medicaid expansion, dental coverage policies for adults, and children's receipt of preventive dental services.
Researchers examined whether low-income children's use of preventive dental services is linked to variation in state Medicaid policies that affect parents' access to dental care in Medicaid. Using MEPS data along with Area Health Resources File and Medicaid adult dental coverage policies, they found no change in children's receipt of preventive dental care associated with Medicaid expansions in states that covered vs did not cover preventive dental services for adults. They concluded that factors other than parental access to dental benefits through Medicaid may be more salient determinants of preventive dental care use among low-income children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Khouja T, Burgette JM, Donohue JM .
Association between Medicaid expansion, dental coverage policies for adults, and children's receipt of preventive dental services.
Health Serv Res 2020 Oct;55(5):642-50. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13324..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Access to Care, Policy
Bevans KB, Moon J, Becker BD
Development of patient-reported outcome measures of children's oral health aesthetics.
The authors sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of child- and parent-proxy measures of oral health aesthetics. Items that describe children's perceptions of their oral attractiveness and its impact on social, emotional, and behavioral functioning were developed based on a systematic review of existing measures, clinician feedback, and child semi-structured interviews. The authors found that the oral health aesthetic item banks and short forms provided precise and valid assessments of children's satisfaction with their oral appearance and may be useful for targeting and evaluating pediatric dental and orthodontic care in clinical practice and research settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS020508.
Citation: Bevans KB, Moon J, Becker BD .
Development of patient-reported outcome measures of children's oral health aesthetics.
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2020 Oct;48(5):423-32. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12555..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Quality of Life
Zhou J, Calip GS, Rowan S
Potentially inappropriate medication combination with opioids among older dental patients: a retrospective review of insurance claims data.
Opioid prescribing by dentists for older patients receiving medications with potential contraindications and the subsequent impact on acute care outcomes is not well described. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the use of potentially inappropriate medication combinations (PIMCs) involving opioids prescribed by dentists according to the Beers Criteria and risks of 30-day emergency department (ED) visits and all-cause hospitalization among commercially insured dental patients ages 65 years and older.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Zhou J, Calip GS, Rowan S .
Potentially inappropriate medication combination with opioids among older dental patients: a retrospective review of insurance claims data.
Pharmacotherapy 2020 Oct;40(10):992-1001. doi: 10.1002/phar.2452..
Keywords: Elderly, Opioids, Dental and Oral Health, Medication: Safety, Medication, Practice Patterns
Wretman CJ, Zimmerman S, Ward K
Measuring self-efficacy and attitudes for providing mouth care in nursing homes.
Mouth care is increasingly recognized as an important component of care in nursing homes (NHs) yet is known to be deficient. To promote quality improvement and inform research efforts, it is necessary to have valid measures of staff self-efficacy and attitudes to provide mouth care. The purpose of this study was to measure self-efficacy and attitudes for providing mouth care in nursing homes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022298.
Citation: Wretman CJ, Zimmerman S, Ward K .
Measuring self-efficacy and attitudes for providing mouth care in nursing homes.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020 Sep;21(9):1316-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.02.007..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Dental and Oral Health
Zimmerman S, Sloane PD, Ward K
Effectiveness of a mouth care program provided by nursing home staff vs standard care on reducing pneumonia incidence: a cluster randomized trial.
Pneumonia affects more than 250 000 nursing home (NH) residents annually. A strategy to reduce pneumonia is to provide daily mouth care, especially to residents with dementia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Mouth Care Without a Battle, a program that increases staff knowledge and attitudes regarding oral hygiene, changes mouth care, and improves oral hygiene, in reducing the incidence of pneumonia among NH residents.
AHRQ-funded; HS022298.
Citation: Zimmerman S, Sloane PD, Ward K .
Effectiveness of a mouth care program provided by nursing home staff vs standard care on reducing pneumonia incidence: a cluster randomized trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Jun;3(6):e204321. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4321..
Keywords: Pneumonia, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Dental and Oral Health, Prevention, Patient Safety
Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Dentists prescribe 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S. When opioids are necessary, national guidelines recommend the prescription of low-dose opioids for a short duration. This study assessed the appropriate prescribing of opioids by dentists before guideline implementation. The investigators concluded that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 opioids prescribed to adult dental patients are overprescribed.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA .
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Am J Prev Med 2020 Apr;58(4):473-86. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.006..
Keywords: Opioids, Dental and Oral Health, Provider, Practice Patterns, Medication
Decker SL, Lipton BJ
AHRQ Author: Decker SL
Do Medicaid benefit expansions have teeth? The effect of Medicaid adult dental coverage on the use of dental services and oral health.
This article examines the effect of Medicaid adult dental coverage on use of dental care and dental health outcomes using state-level variation in dental coverage during 2000-2012. Its findings imply that dental coverage is associated with an increase in the likelihood of a recent dental visit, with the size of the effect increasing with Medicaid payment rates to dentists, and a reduction in the likelihood of untreated dental caries.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker SL, Lipton BJ .
Do Medicaid benefit expansions have teeth? The effect of Medicaid adult dental coverage on the use of dental services and oral health.
J Health Econ 2015 Dec;44:212-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2015.08.009.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Dental and Oral Health, Health Insurance, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Outcomes
Fingar KR, Smith MW, Davies S
AHRQ Author: Stocks C
Medicaid dental coverage alone may not lower rates of dental emergency department visits.
This study examined county-level rates of ED visits for nontraumatic dental conditions in twenty-nine States in 2010 in relation to dental provider density and Medicaid coverage of nonemergency dental services. It found that county-level Medicaid-funded dental ED visit rates were lower in states where Medicaid covered nonemergency dental services than in other states, although this difference was not significant after other factors were adjusted for.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201200003I; HS021700.
Citation: Fingar KR, Smith MW, Davies S .
Medicaid dental coverage alone may not lower rates of dental emergency department visits.
Health Aff 2015 Aug;34(8):1349-57. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0223..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Emergency Department, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Comparative Effectiveness, Medicaid
Malecki K, Wisk LE, Walsh M
Oral health equity and unmet dental care needs in a population-based sample: findings from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin.
The authors explored individual-, psychosocial-, and community-level predictors of oral health status in the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin Oral Health Screening project. Their results suggested that costs were a primary predictor of access to care and poor oral health status, underscoring the role that primary care, in conjunction with dental health care providers, could play in promoting oral health care, particularly in reducing barriers and promoting preventive health behaviors.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Malecki K, Wisk LE, Walsh M .
Oral health equity and unmet dental care needs in a population-based sample: findings from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin.
Am J Public Health 2015 Jul;105 Suppl 3:S466-74. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2014.302338.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Dental and Oral Health, Disparities, Healthcare Costs, Health Services Research (HSR)
Horner-Johnson W, Dobbertin K, Beilstein-Wedel E
Disparities in dental care associated with disability and race and ethnicity.
The purpose of this study was to determine how the combination of disability and race and ethnicity is associated with dental examinations, delays in receiving needed care, and inability to obtain needed care among noninstitutionalized working-age adults in the United States. It found that, compared with non-Hispanic whites, other racial and ethnic groups were less likely to receive annual dental examinations.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Horner-Johnson W, Dobbertin K, Beilstein-Wedel E .
Disparities in dental care associated with disability and race and ethnicity.
J Am Dent Assoc 2015 Jun;146(6):366-74. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.024..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Dental and Oral Health, Disparities
Dumas SA, Polk D
Pediatric dental clinic location and utilization in a high-resource setting.
This study examined dental utilization by Medicaid-insured children living in a high-resource area and characterized distance and travel-related variables to accessing care. It concluded that closer proximity may contribute to the higher utilization of services observed compared with national rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS019486.
Citation: Dumas SA, Polk D .
Pediatric dental clinic location and utilization in a high-resource setting.
J Public Health Dent 2015 Summer;75(3):183-90. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12086.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Healthcare Utilization, Dental and Oral Health, Access to Care, Medicaid
Mody L
Preventing aspiration pneumonia in high-risk nursing home residents: role of chlorhexidine-based oral care questioned again.
This commentary discusses a study by Juthani-Mehta et al in this issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases that adds more steam to the ongoing controversy of the value of chlorhexidine-based oral care by challenging an earlier study. That study found that the odds of dying from pneumonia in those who did not receive oral care was >3 times that of the group receiving oral care. By contrast, the Juthani-Mehta et al study finds no benefit to chlorhexidine use.
AHRQ-funded; HS019979.
Citation: Mody L .
Preventing aspiration pneumonia in high-risk nursing home residents: role of chlorhexidine-based oral care questioned again.
Clin Infect Dis 2015 Mar 15;60(6):858-9. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciu941..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Dental and Oral Health, Elderly, Patient Safety
Manski RJ, Moeller JF, Chen H
AHRQ Author: Manski RJ
Dental use and expenditures for older uninsured Americans: the simulated impact of expanded coverage.
The purpose of this paper is to empirically determine if insurance alone would close the current gaps in dental use and expenditures between insured and uninsured older Americans. Comparing simulated dental use and expenditures rates of newly insured persons against the corresponding rates for those previously insured, the authors found that it would close previous gaps in use and expense.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Manski RJ, Moeller JF, Chen H .
Dental use and expenditures for older uninsured Americans: the simulated impact of expanded coverage.
Health Serv Res. 2015 Feb;50(1):117-35. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12205..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Dental and Oral Health, Health Insurance, Elderly, Healthcare Costs
Smith W, Brach C, Horowitz AM
AHRQ Author: Brach C
Poor oral health literacy: why nobody understands you.
The authors examined the mistaken interpretation of the word “individuals” to be limited almost exclusively to citizens and patients. They identified gaps in knowledge, understanding, and practices regarding caries prevention among the public and all provider groups.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Smith W, Brach C, Horowitz AM .
Poor oral health literacy: why nobody understands you.
J Dent Hyg 2015 Feb;89 Suppl 1:36-8.
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Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Health Literacy, Prevention
Kranz AM, Rozier RG, Preisser JS
Examining continuity of care for Medicaid-enrolled children receiving oral health services in medical offices.
To understand continuity of oral health services for Medicaid-enrolled children utilizing the North Carolina (NC) Into the Mouths of Babes (IMB) preventive oral health program, the researchers examined the time to a dentist visit after a child’s third birthday. They found that children with only IMB visits compared to only dentist visits before age 3 had lower rates of dentist visits after their third birthday.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation: Kranz AM, Rozier RG, Preisser JS .
Examining continuity of care for Medicaid-enrolled children receiving oral health services in medical offices.
Matern Child Health J 2015 Jan;19(1):196-203. doi: 10.1007/s10995-014-1510-3..
Keywords: Access to Care, Children/Adolescents, Community-Based Practice, Dental and Oral Health, Medicaid
Beil H, Rozier RG, Preisser JS
Effects of early dental office visits on dental caries experience.
This study determined the association between timing of a first dentist office visit before age 5 and dental disease in kindergarten. It found that children with early dental visits (before age 2) had higher rates of tooth decay than those who had later visits (between ages 3 and 5).
AHRQ-funded; HS018076.
Citation: Beil H, Rozier RG, Preisser JS .
Effects of early dental office visits on dental caries experience.
Am J Public Health. 2014 Oct;104(10):1979-85. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301325..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Children/Adolescents, Access to Care, Medicaid, Prevention