Okada L M, Wan T T
Am J Public Health. 1979 Oct;69(10):1001-9. doi: 10.2105/ajph.69.10.1001.
Survey data were used to measure change in dental utilization in five urban low-income areas as a result of increased financial (Medicaid) and facility (community health centers) access to dental care. The average annual dental visit between the baseline and follow-up surveys showed a dramatic increase in four of the five survey areas. With the exception of Roxbury, Massachusetts, where the rate was already high in the earlier survey, the dental visit rate in the remaining areas increased 33 to 80 per cent compared to an increase of only 7 per cent nationally between 1969 and 1975. Both CHC and Medicaid programs made important contributions to increased dental care. Among persons who saw a dentist in the year in these areas, 25 per cent reported CHC as their usual source of dental care and 46 per cent reported that their dental care costs in the year were borne by Medicaid. In spite of recent increases, however, the average annual dental visit rate was only 1.0 in the five areas compared to 1.6 nationally, which is 60 per cent higher. The generally low dental utilization levels among persons covered by Medicaid or served by CHCs may indicate that much of the increased dental utilization which occurred in these areas was limited to taking care of existing dental problems while neglecting preventive dental care.
调查数据用于衡量五个城市低收入地区由于获得更多牙科护理资金（医疗补助）和设施（社区健康中心）而导致的牙科服务利用情况的变化。基线调查和随访调查之间的年平均牙科就诊次数显示，五个调查地区中的四个有显著增加。除马萨诸塞州的罗克斯伯里外，该地区在早期调查中的就诊率已经很高，其余地区的牙科就诊率相比1969年至1975年全国仅7%的增幅，增加了33%至80%。社区健康中心和医疗补助计划都对增加牙科护理做出了重要贡献。在这些地区当年看过牙医的人中，25%报告社区健康中心是他们通常的牙科护理来源，46%报告他们当年的牙科护理费用由医疗补助承担。然而，尽管最近有所增加，但这五个地区的年平均牙科就诊率仅为1.0，而全国为1.6，高出60%。医疗补助覆盖人群或由社区健康中心服务的人群中普遍较低的牙科服务利用率可能表明，这些地区发生的牙科服务利用增加大多仅限于处理现有的牙科问题，而忽视了预防性牙科护理。
