Journal article
Dental Care Use Among Children and Adolescents in Medicaid: Associations With State-Level Medicaid Policy Factors and Provider Availability
Journal of public health dentistry, Vol.85(2), pp.143-152
06/2025
DOI: 10.1111/jphd.12662
PMCID: PMC12147405
PMID: 39887365
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the relative strength of association of four state-level factors-Medicaid reimbursement, Medicaid adult dental benefit (MADB) generosity, dentist Medicaid participation, and dentist supply-on individual-level dental care use among children and adolescents in Medicaid.
This national cross-sectional study used 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health data to estimate dental care utilization among children aged 1-17 enrolled in Medicaid. Subgroup analyses were conducted by child age group. A hierarchical regression approach was used; a series of logistic regression models assessed relative effect sizes among the four state-level variables.
Among children aged 1-17, and the age 1-3 subgroup, dentist Medicaid participation was positively associated with dental care use. Among children aged 4-11, children in states with Emergency/No dental coverage for adults had greater odds of having a dental visit compared to children in states with Extensive dental coverage. Among adolescents aged 12-17, no state-level factors were associated with dental utilization.
There was considerable variation by age group in the associations of state-level factors on dental care use among children and adolescents in Medicaid. Dentist participation in Medicaid was associated with dental care use among very young children. State-level policy levers have the potential to improve access to dental care for children enrolled in Medicaid, and are critical to achieve improvement toward oral health equity for children.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Dental Care Use Among Children and Adolescents in Medicaid: Associations With State-Level Medicaid Policy Factors and Provider Availability
- Creators
- Julie C Reynolds - University of IowaCari Comnick - Institute of Public Health Practice, Research and Policy, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa, USATessa Heeren - University of IowaPeter C Damiano - University of IowaXianjin Xie - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of public health dentistry, Vol.85(2), pp.143-152
- DOI
- 10.1111/jphd.12662
- PMID
- 39887365
- PMCID
- PMC12147405
- NLM abbreviation
- J Public Health Dent
- ISSN
- 1752-7325
- eISSN
- 1752-7325
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Grant note
- R40MC41750 / Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 01/29/2025
- Date published
- 06/2025
- Academic Unit
- Preventive and Community Dentistry; Law, Health Policy and Disability Center; Health Management and Policy; School of Social Work; Institute for Public Health Practice, Research and Policy; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9984780239502771
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