Socio-Economic Determinants of Dental Service Expenditure: Findings from a French National Survey

(1) Background: This study investigated how individual enabling resources influence (i) their probability of using dental services and (ii) consumers' expenditure on dental treatment. (2) Methods: Data were derived from a self-administered national health survey questionnaire and from expenditure data from national health insurance. Multiple linear regression methods were used to analyze entry into the dental health system (yes/no) and, independently, the individual expenditure of dental care users. (3) Results: People with the highest incomes were more likely to use dental service (aOR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.28, 1.97), as were those with complementary health insurance and the lowest deprivation scores. For people using dental services, good dental health status was associated with less expenditure (-70.81 EUR; 95% CI = -116.53, -25.08). For dental service users, the highest deprivation score was associated with EUR +43.61 dental expenditure (95% CI = -0.15; 87.39). (4) Conclusion: Socioeconomic determinants that were especially important for entry into the dental health service system were relatively insignificant for ongoing service utilization. These results are consistent with our hypothesis of a dental care utilization process in two steps. Public policies in countries with private fees for dentistry should improve the clarity of dental fees and insurance payments.