Dental Status and Treatment Needs of Children in Foster Care

Purpose: This study compared the dental status and treatment needs of children in foster care with other children enrolled in Florida Medicaid. Methods: The study was a retrospective dental records review of patients who were associated with a foster care agency and an age-matched group of other Medicaid recipients in 2016. Results: We abstracted the electronic dental records of 548 two- to 18-year-olds in foster care and an age-matched group of 548 Medicaid-enrolled children not in foster care. Compared with other Medicaid-enrolled children, those in foster care were more likely to have experienced dental caries overall (75.7 percent versus 58.8 percent; P<.0001), in the permanent dentition (63.6 percent versus 45.1 percent; P<.0001), and in the primary dentition (32.7 percent versus 18.8 percent; P<.0001). Children in foster care had 1.6 times greater prevalence of pulpitis, 1.4 times as many root canal treatments, 5.8 times more diagnoses of severe gingivitis, 3.5 times more diagnoses of periodontitis, and 1.3 times more treatment-planned extractions. Conclusions: Children in foster care had more dental needs, higher caries prevalence, and received more dental care than other Medicaid-enrolled children. Poor oral health status is a public health concern for children in the foster care system. (Pediatr Dent 2019;41(3):206-10) Received December 18, 2018 | Last Revision March 12, 2019 | Accepted March 14, 2019.