Meskin L H, Mason L D
School of Dentistry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262.
Clin Geriatr Med. 1992 Aug;8(3):685-92.
The oral health of America's aged has improved dramatically. As the number of elderly swell, their collective need and demand for comprehensive dental services will increase significantly. Payment for those services will pose problems for many, because few options exist for financing dental care among the elderly. Currently most charges are covered by individuals out-of-pocket. Although more older people than ever before have sufficient funds to include dental visits in their health services use, a large proportion of the elderly lack the personal resources necessary to have their numerous dental conditions treated. Innovation is critical. Greater public and private sector support for accessible and affordable dental services must be offered in the future to ensure that the oral health gains of the past decades are not lost because of a lack of financial mechanisms for supporting an adequate level of care.
美国老年人的口腔健康状况有了显著改善。随着老年人数量的增加，他们对全面牙科服务的总体需求将大幅上升。这些服务的费用支付对许多人来说将成为问题，因为老年人中几乎没有为牙科护理融资的选择。目前，大多数费用由个人自掏腰包支付。尽管现在有比以往更多的老年人有足够资金将看牙纳入其健康服务使用范围，但很大一部分老年人缺乏治疗众多口腔疾病所需的个人资源。创新至关重要。未来，公共和私营部门必须加大对可及且负担得起的牙科服务的支持力度，以确保过去几十年在口腔健康方面取得的成果不会因缺乏支持适当护理水平的财务机制而付诸东流。
