Racial Divide Among Dental Care for California Children

Overall, the study indicates that among African American, Latino, Caucasian and Asian American children who were covered by public insurance programs—including Medicaid—African American and Latino children were least likely to receive timely dental care. The report notes that African American children are 39% more likely to have a longer period between dental visits than Caucasian children.

Having insurance of any kind significantly lowered the odds of a lengthy interval between dental visits, while having private insurance increased the likelihood a child would have a shorter time between dental visits than children insured by public programs.

The study also points out that nearly 40% of all California children younger than age 3 have none or few visits to the dental office. The figure stems from a lack of understanding about the importance of preventive care and the etiology of caries, and a lack of dentists available to treat young children. The study notes that only about 42% of dentists practicing in California participate in public insurance programs.

As one means of improving children’s access to dental care, the report advocates reimbursement for the services of dental hygienists in schools and other locations to which the public has access. The paper also suggests a move by California state government to expand the scope of practice of dental hygienists to allow them to work autonomously with populations in need as a way to alleviate the problem.