IOWA CITY, Iowa, US: For any oral health programme or insurance plan, under-utilisation of preventive dental services ultimately results in an increased treatment burden on both patients and clinicians. A study conducted in the US has evaluated whether there is a correlation between the utilisation of preventive Medicaid dental services and self-evaluated perceived social status (PSS), which, according to the study’s authors, is a better means of evaluation than socio-economic status (SES). The findings of the research indicated a positive association between the use of preventive services by Medicare enrollees and their positive evaluation of their social status.