Trends in Adolescent Dental Care Use

Published 06/04/2021

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health explored dental care utilization among Medicaid-enrolled and commercial-insured adolescents. A new report highlights the importance of oral health care in adolescents and includes how schools, primary care providers, and more can play a part in helping the adolescent population establish a dental home. 

Some key findings from the report: 

  • Commercial-insured adolescents have higher dental care utilization than Medicaid-enrolled adolescents. 
  • Females are more likely than males to utilize dental care in both Medicaid-enrolled and commercial-insured adolescents. 
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend a routine preventive dental visit each year for adolescents. However, research has shown that a significant proportion of adolescents do not receive care this frequently. 

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