December 2007

Objective The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of private dental health expenditure in Greece, between the years 1987 and 1998, and to investigate whether there is evidence of variation by region and income. Basic research design The primary data were derived from the Household Budget Survey of the National Statistical Service of Greece from which private dental expenditure was estimated using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Results 1. In both years the greatest annual dental health expenditure per capita was observed in urban areas and in 1998 it had increased by 9.4% while in semi-urban and rural areas it decreased (by 33.33% and 11.25% respectively). 2. The annual expenditure per capita was distributed according to the monthly income of the population, but in 1998 the differences were more pronounced and higher income groups showed an increase of 67.2%. 3. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in the distribution of expenditure between geographic areas over the decade (p>0.05). Conclusions Private dental health expenditure in Greece is differentiated by income level and geographic region and these variations became more pronounced over the decade. Ssimilar percentages in the distribution of dental expenditure between the geographic areas suggest that during the decade no changes have been made towards increasing the amount of dental care for members of populations in semi-urban and rural areas. Key words: Expenditure; Greece; private dental health expenditure; region/income