Trends in dental treatment, 1992 to 2007

ABSTRACT BackgroundReductions in U.S. dental caries levels have been noted since the 1970s. Reports indicate that dental treatment is changing accordingly. The author examined dental insurance claims to determine whether these changes in dental treatment trends of insured people have continued.MethodsTo measure the annual per capita use of dental services, the author used Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana insurance claims for care provided by dentists in Michigan. The number of patients' claims assessed ranged from 1.25 million in 1992 to 1.84 million in 2007. Within each of these years, the number of each type of service provided was divided by the number of patients receiving treatment of any type, according to birth year.ResultsThe author found that overall, the per capita number of restorative procedures continued to decline. Resin-based composite restorations continued to be placed instead of amalgam restorations. The number of extractions (except for third-molar extractions) and endodontic procedures continued to decrease slightly. As a result, prosthodontic procedures decreased overall. The use of implants continued to increase.ConclusionsThe patterns in the use of dental services by age of patients continue to change. These changes follow closely the reported changes in the oral health in the population.Practice ImplicationsThe number of restorative and prosthodontic services per person required by patients born more recently is not as great as in patients born earlier. Practitioners might need to adjust the number of patients they treat and the services they provide in the coming decades.