Researchers: Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra¹, . Lena Natapov²

Background: Maintaining good oral and dental health is essential for overall well-being. However, due to reduced income, many older individuals tend to overlook oral and dental care. Considering the declining state of teeth in old age, a reform was implemented to offer preventive and preservative dental treatments for older insured individuals through health insurance funds.

Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the impact of the reform on promoting oral and dental health and its utilization by the older population. In addition, it aims to establish a national database for oral and dental health.

Method: The analysis involved comparing oral and dental health indicators using the SHARE survey before and after the reform. Statistical tests, such as the Breslau-Day test and the Q' test, were used to examine the data.

Findings: Following the reform, there was a decrease in reporting toothache and a significant reduction in avoiding dental treatments due to financial reasons. This led to a noteworthy increase in the use of oral and dental health services. However, these positive changes were not uniformly observed in all population groups, including the Arab population in Israel.

Conclusions: The reform had a positive impact on various oral and dental health indicators in Israel.

Recommendations: Policymakers should continue to support the reform due to its proven effectiveness. Efforts to raise awareness about the reform should be expanded, especially among population groups that do not equally benefit from it.

Research end date: 06/2024