Differences in use of dental and medical services by noninstitutionalized children in Ohio

The authors' aim in this study was to evaluate and compare the use of dental and medical services among Ohio children by using data from the 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey (OFHS).

The 2008 OFHS data were gathered by means of a random-digit-dial telephone survey of more than 50,000 Ohio residents; they included parental interviews for more than 13,000 Ohio children. The authors compared children across three insurance coverage groups: those covered for the full year by Medicaid, those covered for the full year by private insurance, and those who were covered for only part of the year or who were uninsured. The authors determined differences between groups by means of an adjusted Wald test and analysis of variance. They excluded from the analysis children younger than 1 year.

The data represented 11,816 responses to questions regarding dental visits, medical visits and the methods used to pay for services for children aged between 1 year and 17 years. The percentages of children who had had a dental visit in the preceding 12 months and had not received needed dental care (as determined by the parent) were statistically significantly lower than percentages of children who had had a medical visit in the preceding 12 months and had not received needed medical care. Furthermore, the percentages of children who never had visited a dental care provider were statistically significantly higher than the percentages of children who never had visited a physician. The authors also observed significant differences in use of dental and medical services among children of different ages. Finally, uninsured children with noncontinuous coverage were the least likely to use health care services.

Ohio children's use of medical services was dramatically better than their use of dental services. Although differences in use of medical and dental services are the results of complex, multifactorial factors affecting patients and providers, the robust data from this survey are generalizable to all noninstitutionalized children living in Ohio.