Comparing epidemiologically estimated treatment need with treatment provided in two dental schemes in Ireland

BMC Oral Health

Table 3 Proportion of adults with epidemiologically estimated need, and who had treatment provided in the schemes

	Extractions	Restorations	Advanced restorations	Denture treatments
16-24 year-olds
Scheme 1: Employed
Estimated need (survey regular)	13.9	62.7	9.0	2.2
Treatment provided (claims data)	19.7	59.0	4.3	1.0
Scheme 2: Less well-off
Estimated need (survey regular)	7.9	46.2	3.0	2.5
Treatment provided (claims data)	27.4	62.4	3.1	2.0
	****
35-44 year-olds
Scheme 1: Employed
Estimated need (survey regular)	17.6	36.7	11.2	13.9
Treatment provided (claims data)	13.2	55.7	3.9	3.3
		****	****	****
Scheme 2: Less well-off
Estimated need (survey regular)	23.4	53.5	12.7	24.3
Treatment provided (claims data)	35.0	61.0	3.2	15.2
	*		***	**
65+ year-olds
Scheme 1: Employed
Estimated need (survey regular)	15.8	45.0	10.1	29.4
Treatment provided (claims data)	20.3	46.1	2.1	13.6
			*	***
Scheme 2: Less well-off
Estimated need (survey regular)	32.9	41.1	3.2	52.6
Treatment provided (claims data)	28.5	36.3	1.7	42.5

Survey regular: adults who said they were regular visitors to the dentist in the survey. Claims data: adults who used the schemes from October 2000 to August 2002. * p <0.05; **p <0.01; ***p <0.001; ****p <0.0001, where there is a significant difference between the proportion of adults, who attend the dentist regularly, estimated as needing treatment (epidemiologically estimated need) and the proportion of adults using the schemes who had treatment, based on the chi-square test. Statistical analysis was based on unweighted numbers. Both dentate and edentulous adults were used as the denominator as it was not possible to determine dentate status from the DTSS claims database.

ISSN: 1472-6831