Epidemiology and Health

Original Article

Social capital and regional influences: key predictors of unmet dental care needs among older adults in Korea: Ji-Yeon Lim, Ju-Mi Lee, Hae-Sung Nam; Epidemiol Health. 2025;47:e2025025. Published online May 7, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025025

9,124 View
79 Download
2 Web of Science
2 Crossref

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Access to dental services is essential for improving quality of life, and social capital plays a key role in facilitating that access. This study aimed to identify individual-level and regional-level factors, including social capital, that predict unmet dental care needs among older adults.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 59,414 older adults obtained from the 2023 Korea Community Health Survey and the Korean Statistical Information Service, employing a 2-level multilevel model. The dependent variables comprised 3 types of unmet dental care needs: overall, due to lack of acceptability, and due to economic reasons. Twelve independent variables, including social capital and other individual and regional factors, were examined.

RESULTS

The prevalence of unmet needs was 14.15% overall, 8.70% for acceptability reasons, and 4.85% for economic reasons. Lower individual social capital was associated with higher odds of unmet dental care needs, whereas regional social capital factors demonstrated no significant association. Residing in regions with higher fiscal independence ratios was related to an increased likelihood of economic unmet needs (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 1.52). In contrast, a greater density of dentists per 10,000 population was inversely associated with overall and acceptability-related unmet needs (OR, 0.82 for both; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.92 and 0.73 to 0.93, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Individual social capital and specific regional factors—namely, fiscal independence and density of dentists—may represent important determinants of unmet dental care needs among older adults. Policy interventions aimed at reducing unmet needs should consider these variables.

Summary

Korean summary
· 낮은 사회적 자본(이웃에 대한 낮은 신뢰, 적은 연락빈도, 배우자의 부재, 낮은 사회참여)은 노인의 미충족 치과의료경험을 증가시킨다. · 지역의 높은 재정자립도는 경제성 결여로 인한 미충족 치과의료경험을 증가시키며, 인구 1만명당 치과의사수가 높을수록 전체, 수용성 결여로 인한 미충족 치과의료경험을 감소시킨다.

Key Message
· Lower social capital (lower levels of trust in neighbors, less frequent contact, absence of a spouse, and lack of social participation) increases the risk of unmet dental care needs among older adults. · Higher regional fiscal independence increases unmet dental care needs due to economic reasons, while a greater density of dentists reduces overall unmet dental care needs and those due to lack of acceptability.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Mobility Limitations and Self-Perceived Unmet Dental Needs Among Korean Adults: A Nationwide Multilevel Analysis for Integrated Care
Han-Nah Kim, Nam-Hee Kim
International Dental Journal.2026; 76(2): 109371. CrossRef
Age Differences in Oral Function and Unmet Dental Care Among Korean Adults
Eun Gyo Son
Gerodontology.2026;[Epub] CrossRef

Review

The global prevalence of dental healthcare needs and unmet dental needs among adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis: Mahin Ghafari, Samira Bahadivand-Chegini, Tayebeh Nadi, Amin Doosti-Irani; Epidemiol Health. 2019;41:e2019046. Published online October 27, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2019046

30,361 View
269 Download
16 Web of Science
15 Crossref

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Access to dental healthcare services is a major determinant of dental health in communities. This meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the global prevalence of dental needs and of unmet dental needs in adolescents.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched in June 2018. The summary measures included the prevalence of met and unmet dental needs. A meta-analysis was performed using the inverse variance method to obtain pooled summary measures. Out of 41,661 retrieved articles, 57 were ultimately included.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of orthodontic treatment needs was 46.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 38.0 to 53.0), that of general treatment needs was 59.0% (95% CI, 42.0 to 75.0), that of periodontal treatment needs was 71.0% (95% CI, 46.0 to 96.0), and that of malocclusion treatment needs was 39.0% (95% CI, 28.0 to 50.0). The pooled prevalence of unmet dental needs was 34.0% (95% CI, 27.0 to 40.0).

CONCLUSIONS

The highest and lowest prevalence of unmet dental needs were found in Southeast Asia and Europe, respectively. The prevalence of dental needs was higher in the countries of the Americas and Europe than in other World Health Organization (WHO) regions. The prevalence of unmet dental needs was higher in Southeast Asia and Africa than in other WHO regions.

Summary

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Cascade of Care in Pediatric Oral Health: A Cross-sectional Study to Assess Care Utilization
D. Bahdila, H. Alhazmi, A.S. Alfarsi, L.Y. Alzahrani, A.I. Koumu, R.H. Alshaikh, S.O. Khalifa, Z.S. Natto
JDR Clinical & Translational Research.2026; 11(2): 245. CrossRef
Orthodontic Visits According to Socioeconomic Status Among Children Living in the City of Kuopio, Finland: The PANIC Study
Maria Viisanen, Eero Raittio, Tiina Ikävalko, Timo Peltomäki, Anna Liisa Suominen, Ville Tolonen, Sonja Soininen, Henri Karvinen, Timo A. Lakka
Clinical and Experimental Dental Research.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Parental Perceptions of Dental Care Utilisation and Their Association With Treatment Completion, Follow‐Up and Children's Quality of Life: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Dania Bahdila
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.2026; 54(2): 263. CrossRef
Morphology of maxillary and frontal sinuses in different skeletal vertical malocclusions
Hafiz Zuhair Ahmed, Irfan Qamruddin, Hina Siddiqui, Sooraj Lohana, Sohail Khan, Sunia Soomar, Hunny, Afreen Panjwani
Journal of Orthodontic Science.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
A New Measure for an Acceptable Level of Homogeneity in Meta-Informatics
Ramalingam Shanmugam, Karan P. Singh
Mathematics.2025; 13(9): 1364. CrossRef
A scoping review of school-based oral health interventions among adolescents in Nigeria
Abel Nnamdi Chukwuemeka, Richard Oveh, Anita Dabar, Omorinola Afolabi, Saheed Ademola Ibraheem, Folahanmi Tomiwa Akinsolu, Abideen Olurotimi Salako, Omolola Titilayo Alade, Foluso Owotade, George Uchenna Eleje, Oliver Ezechi, Joanne Lusher, Moréniké Oluwá
Frontiers in Oral Health.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Factors influencing the oral health behaviour of Dutch adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities living in residential care: A qualitative study
Sonja M. Kalf‐Scholte, Renate van Zoonen, Dina Sijperda‐Abdul, Henk Algra, Cees Valkenburg
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Unmet Needs for Dental Care Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Study
Christos Ntais, Athina Charalampaki, Michael A. Talias, Nikolaos Kontodimopoulos, John Fanourgiakis
Healthcare.2024; 12(22): 2286. CrossRef
Natural Therapeutic Agents’ Efficacy in Preventive Strategies against the Periodontal Pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans: An In Vitro Study
Sima Hermes, Sham Alatwan, Anders Johansson, Anna Bogren
Oral.2024; 4(3): 405. CrossRef
Perception of malocclusion and school performance in adolescents: a systematic review
Ana Carla Souza COSTA, Djessyca Miranda e PAULO, Maria Tereza Campos VIDIGAL, Walbert de Andrade VIEIRA, Andres Felipe Millan CARDENAS, Luiz Renato PARANHOS
Brazilian Oral Research.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Use of the sociodental approach in estimating orthodontic treatment needs in adolescent patients
Wan Nurazreena Wan Hassan, Mohd Zambri Mohamed Makhbul, Zamros Yuzadi Mohd Yusof
Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics / Fortschritte der Kieferorthopädie.2022; 83(4): 244. CrossRef
Impacts of using orthodontic appliances on the quality of life of children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis
Maria Tereza Campos Vidigal, Caio Melo Mesquita, Murilo Navarro de Oliveira, Walbert de Andrade Vieira, Cauane Blumenberg, Gustavo G Nascimento, Matheus Melo Pithon, Luiz Renato Paranhos
European Journal of Orthodontics.2022; 44(4): 359. CrossRef
Minimal Important Difference of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire Following Orthodontic Treatment: A Cohort Study
Wan Nurazreena Wan Hassan, Mohd Zambri Mohamed Makhbul, Zamros Yuzadi Mohd Yusof, Siti Adibah Othman
Children.2022; 9(4): 506. CrossRef
Association between malocclusion in the mixed dentition with breastfeeding and past nonnutritive sucking habits in school-age children
Glauber S. Belitz, Lara J. N. Furlan, Jessica K. Knorst, Luana C. Berwig, Thiago M. Ardenghi, Vilmar A. Ferrazzo, Mariana Marquezan
The Angle Orthodontist.2022; 92(5): 669. CrossRef
Changes and determinants of unmet oral health treatment need
Eeva Torppa‐Saarinen, Mimmi Tolvanen, Satu Lahti, Anna Liisa Suominen
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.2021; 49(2): 158. CrossRef

First
Prev
Page of 1
Next
Last

Search