Early Entry into the Dental Care System: Focus on Caregivers

Dental care is the most common chronic disease in childhood and represents a major health disparity. An estimated 14% of U.S. children aged 3 to 5 years have untreated dental caries; the rate increases to 25% in families living below the poverty level. Investigators examined the influence of caregivers on U.S. children's entry into the dental care system using prospectively collected interview data from 2007–2008 and Medicaid claims.

Among 1000 children (age range, 0–5 years) who had not had a dental visit before enrollment, 72% were younger than 2 years. Caregivers were predominantly women and single; 31% had some college education. During a median follow-up of 25 months, 39% entered the dental care system. Of those, 13% had their first enc…