J Korean Acad Oral Health.  2025 Jun;49(2):89-97. 10.11149/jkaoh.2025.49.2.89.

Oral health among adult medical aid beneficiaries in Korea: analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination (2016-2018)

• Choi JI
• Ju HJ
• Oh HW
• Lee HS

• KMID: 2569574
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11149/jkaoh.2025.49.2.89

Abstract

Objectives
The present study aimed to identify the extent of oral health inequality by comparing oral health status, dental care utilization, and oral health behaviors between adult beneficiaries of private medical aids and those covered by the National Health Insurance in Korea.
Methods
This cross-sectional study used raw data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). A total of 13,199 adults aged ≥19 years were included in the study. Oral health indicators, dental care utilization, prosthetic status, and oral health behaviors were compared between the medical aid (MA) and National Health Insurance (NHI) groups. Differences were measured using absolute and relative disparities, and multivariate analyses were performed after adjusting for socio-economic factors.
Results
MA beneficiaries exhibited an overall lower level of oral health than NHI beneficiaries. Although the dental care utilization rate did not differ significantly between the two groups, the unmet dental care need owing to economic reasons was 3.07-fold higher among MA beneficiaries, thus indicating that financial burden is the primary barrier to dental care in this population. Among the young adult MA beneficiaries, the unmet need for dentures represented the greatest magnitude of oral health inequality among all indicators.
Conclusions
Although the dental care utilization rate of medical benefit recipients did not differ from that of other adults, their oral health level was lower, and oral health inequalities in dental care utilization owing to economic reasons were evident. Therefore, measures must be implemented to address this issue.

Keyword

Health inequality; Medicaid; Oral health; Socioeconomic factors