Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
June 2019
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Electronic ISSN:
2515-1746
Vol:
36
Issue:
2

Costs of dental care and its financial impacts on patients in a population with low availability of services

10.1922/CDH_4389Nyamuryekung’e06


Objectives: To determine the direct and indirect costs of accessing and utilizing dental services in Tanzania and the proportion of patients
experiencing economic burden due to treatment costs. Basic research design: Survey of 489 dental patients utilizing an out-of-pocket
payment modality was carried out in four regional hospitals. Direct and indirect costs for service utilization were calculated. Financial
expenditures were used to assess significant financial impacts of utilization of dental services on household economies. Results: Direct
costs comprised 80% of the total treatment costs, whereas indirect costs comprised 20%. About half of the patients experienced significant
financial impacts as a result of their utilization of dental services. Proportionately more patients from low-income households (92.2%)
experienced significant financial impacts. Most patients attended the clinics due to toothache and the most widely expected treatment was
dental extraction. Only 7.1% of the patients received a filling. The costs for dental restorations were three-times those for tooth extraction.
Conclusions: Dental service utilization leads to significant financial impacts on many of the households in this setting. Increasing the rate
of prepayment for health services and reducing income inequality may help to mitigate these impacts.

Keywords: healthcare costs, dental utilization

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
131
Page End
136
Authors
Nyamuryekung’e Kasusu Klint, Lahti Satu, Tuominen Risto

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  1. Editorial - How soon is soon enough? The challenge of implementing behaviours conducive to good oral health in at-risk infants and toddlers
  2. 89
  3. 90

  1. Patient and professional engagement in the procurement of dental services
  2. 91
  3. 94

  1. A qualitative study on the oral health of humanitarian migrants in Canada
  2. 95
  3. 100

  1. What influences use of dental services by the Korean disabled people? The role of perceived barriers in dental care system
  2. 101
  3. 105

  1. In-school toothbrushing programs in Aboriginal communities in New South Wales, Australia: A thematic analysis of teachers’ perspectives
  2. 106
  3. 110

  1. Relationship between Caregivers’ Oral Health Literacy and their Child’s Caries Experience
  2. 111
  3. 117

  1. What evidence do economic evaluations in dental care provide? A scoping review
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  1. The Effectiveness of Reform in the Dental Health Systems of Transitional Countries: The Case of Montenegro Health Reform (pilot study)
  2. 126
  3. 130

  1. Costs of dental care and its financial impacts on patients in a population with low availability of services
  2. 131
  3. 136

  1. Identifying the barriers and facilitators for homeless people to achieve good oral health
  2. 137
  3. 142

  1. Comparison of two measures to determine the oral health-related quality of life in elders with periodontal disease
  2. 143
  3. 149

  1. Transnational corporations and oral health inequalities; an introduction
  2. 151
  3. 151

  1. Political economy, trade relations and health inequalities: lessons from general health
  2. 152
  3. 156

  1. Transnational corporations and oral health: examples from the sugar industry
  2. 157
  3. 162

  1. The Transnational Tobacco Industry and Oral Health
  2. 163
  3. 168

  1. Transnational corporations, oral health and human agency: a sociological perspective
  2. 169
  3. 174