DENTAL-CARIES AND TREATMENT NEED IN SCHOOLCHILDREN RELATED TO MEDICAID ENROLLMENT

Objectives: This study compared dental caries status and treatment nee d in four groups of children: those not enrolled in Medicaid, those en rolled in Medicaid who used dental services prior to a dental survey, those enrolled in Medicaid who used services after the survey, and tho se enrolled in Medicaid who did not use dental services. Methods: This study used data on 6,620 children 5 to 18 years of age, who were repr esentative of North Carolina schoolchildren and who participated in a statewide oral health survey in 1986-87. Clinical results from the sur vey were linked with a separate data base of Medicaid claims and enrol lment files from 1984 to 1992. With this link, the surveyed children w ere classified into the four study groups and dental status compared. Results: Medicaid-enrolled children who used services prior to the sur vey had the highest caries prevalence of all groups (DMFS = 1.74 at ag es 6 to 11 years), and had fewer treatment needs (D/DMFS = 19%) than c hildren outside of Medicaid (DMFS = 0.95, D/DMFS = 33%). Enrolled chil dren who never used dental services had a caries prevalence (DMFS = 0. 83) similar to children outside of Medicaid. yet had greater unmet tre atment need (D/DMFS = 62%). Conclusions: Caries prevalence did not dif fer substantially among groups; however, the level of unmet treatment did vary. Some Medicaid-enrolled children had a significant portion of their restorative treatment needs met.