Journal article
Preventive dental care use for children with special health care needs in Washington's Access to Baby and Child Dentistry program
The Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), Vol.150(1), pp.42-48
10/24/2018
DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2018.08.026
PMCID: PMC6321780
PMID: 30528747
Abstract
Background
Preschool-aged children with special health care needs (CSHCN) from low-income households are at increased risk of developing poor oral health. The study goal was to assess preventive dental care use for CSHCN enrolled in Medicaid within Washington state’s Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program.
Methods
The authors analyzed 2012 Medicaid eligibility and claims files for children younger than 6 years in the ABCD program (N = 206,488). The authors used medical diagnosis and eligibility data to identify each child’s special needs status (no or yes). The outcome was preventive dental care use (no or yes). The authors used modified Poisson regression models to estimate crude and covariate-adjusted prevalence rate ratios.
Results
Of the 206,488 children in the study, 2.1% were CSHCN, and 114,570 used preventive dental care (55.5%). CSHCN used preventive care at rates similar to those of children without special health care needs (SHCN) (54.7% and 55.5%, respectively; P = .32). After adjustment for confounding variables, CSHCN were significantly less likely to use preventive dental care than were children without SHCN (prevalence rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 0.94; P < .001). Older preschool-aged children were significantly more likely to use preventive dental care than were younger preschool-aged children. A significantly higher proportion of preventive medical care users also used preventive dental care.
Conclusions
CSHCN who were enrolled in Medicaid in Washington’s ABCD program were less likely to use preventive dental care than were children without SHCN who were enrolled in Medicaid.
Practical Implications
Future intervention research investigators should evaluate ways to improve access to preventive dental care for CSHCN. Additional strategies may be needed to improve oral health behaviors for preschool-aged CSHCN receiving Medicaid.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Preventive dental care use for children with special health care needs in Washington's Access to Baby and Child Dentistry program
- Creators
- Maureen H. CraigJoAnna M. Scott - University of Missouri–Kansas CityRebecca L. Slayton - University of WashingtonAmy L. Walker - University of WashingtonDonald L. Chi - University of Washington
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), Vol.150(1), pp.42-48
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.adaj.2018.08.026
- PMID
- 30528747
- PMCID
- PMC6321780
- NLM abbreviation
- J Am Dent Assoc
- ISSN
- 0002-8177
- eISSN
- 1943-4723
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Grant note
- name: National Institute of Dental, award: K08DE020856; name: Craniofacial Research; DOI: 10.13039/100005541, name: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/24/2018
- Academic Unit
- Pediatric Dentistry; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984283702202771
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