Dental Services Utilization, 1996 to 1997

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Abstract

The use of the services of a dentist or orthodontist for Canada as a whole was just under 60%. It was far lower than physician utilization in 1997. Use ranges from a low of 46% in Newfoundland and Labrador to highs of 63% in British Columbia and Ontario. The reason for low dental utilization is partially due to the fact that dental coverage is not universal across Canada. Having dental coverage not only increases likelihood of visiting a dentist/orthodontist, it also increases the likelihood of making two or more visits. In addition, dental services utilization patterns, for both individuals and regions, are influenced by factors like age, gender, and self-rated health status.

As is noted in the topic text, it is difficult to obtain reliable sub-provincial data on health care utilization. Consequently, data is at the provincial level (with no data being available for the territories).

In the twelve months prior to the 1998 to 1999 National Population Health Survey, close to 80% of Canadians made use of the services of a family physician. The first map in this series indicates that this overall utilization rate ranged from lows of 73% in Quebec and 77% in Alberta to a high of 86% in Prince Edward Island. For the remaining provinces, utilization proportions range from 80 to 84 per cent. For Canada as a whole and for each province, the majority of the population (close to 58%) visited a family physician more than twice during that time period. Regionally, multiple use proportions ranged from a low of 46.7% in Quebec to a high of 67.8% in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As illustrated in the second map of this series, utilization of dental services was far lower. Visits or the use of the services of a dentist or orthodontist for Canada as a whole was just under 60%. The variations in dental services utilization is much broader, ranging from a low of 46% in Newfoundland and Labrador to highs of 63% in British Columbia and 64% in Ontario. In 1998 to 1999 only a third of Canadians attended a dentist/orthodontist more than once. Multiple visits were lowest in Saskatchewan (21.8%) and highest in Ontario (39.1%) and British Columbia (40.4%).