Equity in Utilization of Oral Health Services among Thai Population: Results from Health and Welfare Survey 2017

Abstract

Thailand has achieved Universal Health Coverage since 2002. Consequentially, almost all Thai citizens are covered with basic oral health services by publicly funded insurance schemes. However, the proportion of Thais who receive such services is still low with inequity patterns among different groups of people. The purpose of this study was to analyze the equity in oral health service among Thai citizens through patterns of oral health service uses as well as unmet oral health needs by using the 2017 Health and Welfare Survey by the National Statistical Office of Thailand. The result revealed that 9.6 percent of Thai population received any oral health service within the past 12 months. Most (81.6 percent) of service uses were for treatments. The main reasons of not seeking oral health service were the delays and pro­longed waiting time. On the unmet oral health needs, 1.4 percent of the population with oral health needs was not met. The populations with no health benefits, the aged, and the lowest socio-economic status saw twice as many unmet oral health needs compared to other population groups. These groups received the least oral health services. The survey showed the inequity of oral health service utilization, particularly among populations with different health benefits and different socio-economic status. This indicates the necessity of oral health policy that responds to the needs of the people and creates an equitable oral health service system; in particular, promotes oral health literacy, builds harmony among three public health insurance schemes, and expands the scope of services so that people have better accesses to necessary services.