Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the difference in dental care utilization between diabetics (diabetes group) and nondiabetics (normal group). Methods: We examined the data of 5108 subjects enrolled in the Korea Health Panel Survey, every year for three years between 2010 and 2012. Of these, 458 subjects were included in the diabetes group and 458 in the normal group using the propensity score matching method to control confounding variables. To compare dental care utilization by the diabetes and normal groups, we examined the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using a generalized estimating equation.Results: We found that the odds of dental care utilization by the diabetes group compared with the normal group was significantly high (OR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.60-2.09). The result was consistent according to sensitivity analysis (OR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.63-2.35).Conclusions: Dental care utilization by the diabetes group was 82% higher than that by the normal group. Therefore, patients with diabetes need to be more concerned about oral health care.

Keywords: Dental care utilization, Diabetes, Korea Health Panel