Disparities in children's use of oral health services

We sought to determine if the recent expansions in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) have resulted in a narrowing of income disparities over time with the use of dental care in children 2 to 17 years of age.

Six years of data from the National Health Interview Survey were utilized. A trend analysis was conducted using 1983 as a baseline, which predates the expansions, and 2001-2002, the endpoint, which postdates implementation of the expansions. In addition, we examined two intermediate time points (1989 and 1997-1998). We conducted unadjusted and adjusted analyses using logistic regression.

Overall, use of ambulatory dental care has increased dramatically for children over the past two decades. In 1983, more than one in three children (38.5%) had no dental care within the previous 12 months. By 2001-2002, about one-quarter of children (26.3%) were reported to have no dental care within the year, a reduction of 12.2% from 1983 (p<0.001). Frequency of unmet dental care remained unchanged between 1997-1998 (the first year this measure was available) and 2001-2002. A reduction in income disparities for use of dental care was found in our unadjusted analysis but this difference became statistically insignificant in the adjusted analysis. No changes in income disparities occurred for unmet dental needs in either the unadjusted or adjusted analyses.

A substantial overall improvement in dental care use has occurred among all income groups, including poor and near poor children. This "keeping up" with their higher-income counterparts represents an important public health accomplishment for children in low-income families. Nevertheless, additional efforts are needed to close remaining disparities in access to dental care.