Oral Health, U.S. 2002 Annual Report
Section 7: DELIVERY OF DENTAL SERVICES
| 7.3 |
Preventive dental services for low-income children |
Children living in poverty receive fewer preventive dental services than children from families with more income. Among children living below the federal poverty level, only 25.2% received any preventive dental services compared to 43.8% of children living at or above the federal poverty level.
Coverage for pediatric dental services has been required under Medicaid for over two decades and is permitted, but not required, under the new State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (US DHHS, 2000). Despite the potential for improved oral health care, only about 19.0% of children eligible for Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program received preventive dental services in 1998 (CMS, 2001; Mouradian, 2000; GAO, 2000).
SOURCE OF DATA
Data on preventive dental services were collected in the 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Demographic differences (Figures 7.3.1 and 7.3.2)
- Children living below the federal poverty level were less likely to receive preventive dental services compared to children living at or above the poverty level.
- Non-Hispanic white/other children1 living at or above the federal poverty level were more likely to receive any preventive dental services than non-Hispanic white/other children living below the federal poverty level and non-Hispanic black or Hispanic children living either below or above the federal poverty level.
- Differences by insurance status (Figure 7.3.3)
- Children living at or above the federal poverty level who have private health insurance were more likely to receive any preventive dental services than those who have either public health insurance or were uninsured, or than children living below the federal poverty level even if they have private insurance.
Bullets reference data that can be found in Tables 7.3.1, 7.3.2A, and 7.3.2B.
1 MEPS reports race/ethnicity as Hispanic, black-not Hispanic, and other (including non-Hispanic Whites).
REFERENCES
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicaid and Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT), HCFA-Form-416, FY 1998 national summary report. Retrieved July 31, 2001. http://hcfa.gov/medicaid/epsdthm.htm
General Accounting Office. Oral health, dental disease is a chronic problem among low-income populations. GAO/HEHS-00-72, April 2000.
Mouradian WE, Wehr E, Crall JJ. Disparities in children's oral health and access to dental care.
JAMA 2000; 284(20):2625–2631.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. Conference ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000.
Figure 7.3.1. Percentage of children aged 18 years and younger who received preventive dental services during 1997 by type of service and federal poverty level (FPL)
 [D]
Note: Sample size of children living below the federal poverty level receiving orthodontia is too small to produce reliable estimates.
Data source: 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Figure 7.3.2. Percentage of children aged 18 years and younger who received any preventive dental services during 1997 by race/ethnicity and federal poverty level (FPL)
 [D]
Data source: 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Figure 7.3.3. Percentage of children aged 18 years and younger who received any preventive dental services during 1997 by insurance status and federal poverty level (FPL)
 [D]
Note: Sample size of uninsured children living below the federal poverty level is too small to produce reliable estimates.
Data source: 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
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