North Carolina physician-based preventive oral health services improve access and use among young Medicaid enrollees.

ABSTRACT: To combat disparities in oral health and access to dental care among infants and toddlers, most state Medicaid programs now reimburse physician-based preventive oral health services such as fluoride varnish applications. We used geospatial data to examine the distribution of dental and medical Medicaid providers of pediatric oral health services throughout North Carolina to determine if these services have improved access to care for Medicaid enrollees younger than age three. We then used claims data to examine the association between distance from these practices and use of dental services for a cohort of approximately 1,000 young children. Among one hundred counties, four counties had no physician-based preventive oral health services, and nine counties had no dental practice. While chil

SUBMITTER: Kranz AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4331078 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature