Preventive and Need-Driven Use of Dental Services among Community-Dwelling Older People with Long-Term Care Needs

Oral health is a key component of quality of life among older adults, yet maintaining preventive dental care becomes increasingly difficult for those with long-term care (LTC) needs. This study examined patterns of preventive and need-driven dental service use among home-dwelling older adults with LTC needs in Japan and identified the caregiving, functional, and socioeconomic factors associated with these patterns. Data were drawn from a nationwide online survey of family caregivers reporting dental service use among older adults certified under the Japanese Long-Term Care Insurance system (n = 1,055). Poorer financial situations increased the likelihood of a lack of dental visits, whereas need-driven visits were more common among those who received intensive or long-term caregiving and whose caregivers reported a greater burden. Dementia status was not independently associated with dental service use. These findings highlight the importance of promoting preventive dental care within community-based LTC systems, particularly as care needs intensify. Key PointsO_LIFinancial strain was linked to having no dental visits C_LIO_LIMore intensive and longer caregiving, especially with higher caregiver burden, was linked to need-driven dental visits C_LIO_LIDementia status was not independently associated with dental service use C_LI