Assessing patterns of restorative and preventive care among children enrolled in Medicaid, by type of dental care provider

ABSTRACT Background The authors investigate the relationship of preventive dental treatment to subsequent receipt of comprehensive treatment among Medicaid-enrolled children. Methods The authors analyzed Medicaid dental claims data for 50,485 children residing in Wayne County, Mich. The study sample included children aged 5 through 12 years in 2002 who had been enrolled in Medicaid for at least one month and had had at least one dental visit each year from 2002 through 2005. The authors assessed dental care utilization and treatment patterns cross-sectionally for each year and longitudinally. Results Among the Medicaid-enrolled children in 2002, 42 percent had had one or more dental visits during the year. At least 20 percent of the children with a dental visit in 2002 were treated by providers who billed Medicaid exclusively for diagnostic and preventive (DP) services. Children treated by DP care providers were less likely to receive restorative and/or surgical services than were children who were treated by dentists who provided a comprehensive mix of dental services. The logistic model showed that children who visited a DP-care provider were about 2.5 times less likely to receive restorative or surgical treatments than were children who visited comprehensive-care providers. Older children and African-American children were less likely to receive restorative and surgical treatments from both types of providers. Conclusions The study results show that the type of provider is a significant determinant of whether children received comprehensive restorative and surgical services. The results suggest that current policies that support preventive care–only programs may achieve increased access to preventive care for Medicaid-enrolled children in Wayne County, but they do not provide access to adequate comprehensive dental care.