Objective: To investigate the role of public dental care spending and insurance coverage on dental services utilization disparities among different Canadian jurisdictions.
Methods: We utilized Canadian Institute for Health Information provincial/territorial per capita estimates for public dental care expenditure, public information on legislated dental care programs, and oral health data from the 2007-2008 Canadian Community Health Survey to make inferences regarding the relationship between dentist visits in the past 12 months and self-perceived oral health. We performed descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between dentist visits and self-perceived oral health status at the provincial/territorial level and on stratified data based on three age groups - children (12-17 years), adults (18-64 years), and seniors (65 years and older).
Results: Overall, the presence of the "inverse care law" in dental care at the provincial/territorial level was evident. However, in the Canadian territories, which had the highest per capita public dental care expenditure, individuals with poor oral health had the highest odds of visiting a dentist compared with other jurisdictions. In jurisdictions with public dental care programs for children and/or seniors, children and seniors with poor oral health were more likely to visit dentists.
Conclusions: Jurisdictions with more public spending and greater population coverage for dental care appear to better cater to those with the highest oral health care needs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jphd.12283 | DOI Listing |
Matern Child Health J
January 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, Fee Hall West Wing; 909 Wilson Rd, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
Background: Dental care before pregnancy is critical for preventing poor oral health, which is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. People with low incomes, however, may face insurance-related barriers to obtaining dental care. Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act increased access to dental care utilization among adults with low incomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNaturwissenschaften
January 2025
Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
While most dentate non-mammalian vertebrates possess simple conical teeth, some demonstrate complex tooth shapes. Lake Malawi cichlid fishes are an extreme example of this, exhibiting a myriad of tooth shapes driven by an ecologically derived rapid evolution of closely related but distinct species. Tooth shape in mammals is generally considered to be established by signaling centers called primary and secondary enamel knots, which are not believed to be present in non-mammalian vertebrates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Phys Rehabil Med
January 2025
Rehabilitation Program, Department for Noncommunicable Diseases, Rehabilitation and Disability, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Cochrane Rehabilitation and the World Health Organization (WHO) Rehabilitation Program are collaborating to produce four Cochrane overviews of systematic reviews that synthesize the current evidence from health policy and systems research (HPSR) in rehabilitation. They will focus on the four pillars of HPSR identified by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) taxonomy: delivery arrangements, financial arrangements, governance arrangements, and implementation strategies. The protocol describes why HPSR is currently needed in rehabilitation, provides detailed information on the four EPOC pillars in interaction with rehabilitation and reports the Cochrane methods that will be followed to produce the overviews.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle
February 2025
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Background: Chest computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for diagnosing and predicting the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and assessing extrapulmonary organs. Reduced muscle mass and visceral fat accumulation are important features of a body composition phenotype in which obesity and muscle loss coexist, but their relationship with COVID-19 outcomes remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the erector spinae muscle (ESM) to epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) ratio (ESM/EAT) on chest CT and disease severity in patients with COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Behav Immun Health
February 2025
University Center for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India.
Background And Objective: Lyme disease, caused by , presents major health challenges worldwide, leading to serious neurological and musculoskeletal issues that impact patients' lives and healthcare systems. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to determine the prevalence and link between Lyme disease and these complications, aiming to enhance clinical and public health approaches.
Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science up until April 01, 2024, to find studies reporting the prevalence and severity of neurological and musculoskeletal complications associated with Lyme disease.
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