Outcomes Associated With Early Preventive Dental Care Among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Alabama.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

There is a recommendation for children to have a dental home by 6 months of age, but there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of early preventive dental care or whether primary care providers (PCPs) can deliver it.

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of preventive dental care in reducing caries-related treatment visits among Medicaid enrollees.

Design, setting, and participants

High-dimensional propensity scores were used to address selection bias for a retrospective cohort study of children continuously enrolled in coverage from the Alabama Medicaid Agency from birth between 2008 and 2012, adjusting for demographics, access to care, and general health service use.

Exposures

Children receiving preventive dental care prior to age

SUBMITTER: Blackburn J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5470412 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature