Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Exploring older swiss people's preferred dental services for when they become dependent

Published inSwiss Dental Journal, vol. 130, no. 11, p. 876-884
Publication date2020
Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the preferred dental services of older people for when they become dependent. It aimed to assess their preferred type of health care professional and location of dental service, and relate their preferences to their willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to travel (WTT). Older people aged 65 years or older were invited to participate in a questionnaire-based discrete choice experiment (DCE), to measure preferences for dental examinations and treatment, defined by two attributes: type of professional and location of the activity. Hypothetical scenarios based attributes were displayed in a projected visual presentation and participants noted their personal preference using a response sheet. Data was analyzed using a random-effects logit model. Eighty-nine participants (mean age 73.7 ± 6.6 years) attended focus group sessions. Respondents preferred that the family dentist (β: 0.2596) or an auxiliary (β: 0.2098) undertake the examination and wanted to avoid a medical doctor (β: –0.469). The preferred location for dental examination was at a dental practice (β: 0.2204). Respondents preferred to avoid treatments at home (β: –0.3875); they had a significant preference for treatment at the dental office (β: 0.2255) or in a specialist setting (β: 0.1620, ns). However, the type of professional did not have a significant influence on overall preference. Participants with a low WTP preferred examination at home (β: 0.2151) and wanted to avoid the dental practice (β: –0.0235), whereas those with a high WTP preferred the dental office (β: 0.4535) rather than home (β: –0.3029). WTT did not have a significant influence on preference. The study showed that older people generally preferred receiving dental services in a dental practice or specialist setting, and would prefer not to be treated at home. Continuity of dental services provided by the family dentist should therefore be prioritized where possible and further studies should examine the role of domiciliary care at home.

Keywords
  • Aged
  • Aged
  • 80 and over
  • Dental Care for Aged
  • Humans
  • Patient Preference
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Switzerland
Citation (ISO format)
CHEBIB, Najla et al. Exploring older swiss people’s preferred dental services for when they become dependent. In: Swiss Dental Journal, 2020, vol. 130, n° 11, p. 876–884. doi: 10.61872/sdj-2020-11-690
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
accessLevelPublic
Identifiers
Journal ISSN2296-6498
223views
172downloads

Technical informations

Creation16/07/2021 09:46:00
First validation16/07/2021 09:46:00
Update20/02/2026 11:29:57
Status update20/02/2026 11:29:57
Last indexation20/02/2026 11:33:38
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack