Dental/Oral Health Service Use: Children Medicaid enrollees: MNPH Data Access - MN Dept. of Health
Dental service use among Medicaid-eligible children
Dental service use among Medicaid eligible children by:
Children enrolled in Medicaid and other Minnesota Health Care Programs can receive dental services
Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) is Minnesota’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Program—a federal program required in every state to provide children enrolled in a Medicaid or public health insurance programs with yearly well-child care health and dental visits.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend at least one dental visit each year, starting by the child’s first birthday, when the first tooth appears, or whichever occurs first. Dental visits are important to maintain healthy gums and teeth, prevent dental disease, and identify any treatment needs.
Children eligible for Minnesota’s C&TC services include all children under the age of 21 enrolled in a Medicaid or Children Health Insurance (CHIP) expansion program (Medical Assistance) or MinnesotaCare (collectively called Minnesota Health Care Programs).
The following is based on data from the CMS-416 Report, which reports on children oral health measures such as dental service use among children:
- Ages 1 to 20 years
- Enrolled in a Minnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) for at least 90 consecutive days
- By federal fiscal year (October 1 through September 30).
A dental service is any diagnostic, preventive, or treatment service provided by or under the supervision of a dentist. Data come from paid, unpaid and denied fee-for-service claims and encounter data reported to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. MHCP pays for any medically necessary dental services for children (Minnesota Statutes 2018, chapter 256B.0625, subd. 9). For more information: About the Child and Teen Checkups Program (CMS-416) Report.
More than one third of Medicaid eligible children receive at least one yearly dental service
3 out of every 10
C&TC eligible children (1 to 20 years)
(36.3%, 95% CI = 36.1 to 36.4; n =202,300 of 558,042)
Have at least one dental service
FFY 2020
During federal fiscal year 2020, 3 out of 10 Minnesota C&TC eligible children aged 1 to 20 years (36%) had at least one dental service. This is a significant decrease from the previous year (44%). The COVID-19 pandemic is likely playing a role in dental access.
Although not directly comparable, 76% of children in Minnesota aged 1 to 17 years had at least one dental visit in 2019-2020. This prevalence data comes from a web/mail-based survey of parents and guardians (see View Charts: Dental visits).
Dental service use among C&TC eligible children by age, federal fiscal year 2020
| Age group (years) | Number of C&TC eligible children | Number of C&TC eligible children with at least one dental service | Percent C&TC eligible children dental service use within age groups (row percent) | 95% Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 | 23,469 | 94 | 0.4% | 0.3 to 0.5 |
| 1 to 2 | 61,595 | 6,665 | 10.8% | 10.6 to 11.1 |
| 3 to 5 | 93,445 | 32,587 | 34.9% | 34.6 to 35.2 |
| 6 to 9 | 119,016 | 53,688 | 45.1% | 44.8 to 45.4 |
| 10 to 14 | 143,687 | 61,742 | 43.0% | 42.7 to 43.2 |
| 15 to 18 | 98,919 | 36,875 | 37.3% | 37.0 to 37.6 |
| 19 to 20 | 41,380 | 10,743 | 26.0% | 25.5 to 26.4 |
Data include Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC) eligible children enrolled in a Minnesota Health Care Program for at least 90-continuous days during the federal fiscal year (FFY) (October 1 through September 30). Total eligible children (1 to 20 years) enrolled during FFY 2020 = 558,042. This chart represents percent dental service use within age groups (row percentages). See About the Child and Teen Checkups Program (CMS-416) Report data for more information.
Among C&TC eligible children who received a dental service during federal fiscal year 2020, the majority were between the ages of 3 to 20 years. Less than half of all age groups received the recommended yearly dental visit. Most notable, are the very low proportion of 0 to 2 year olds and 19 to 20 year olds who received at least one dental service.
Dental service use among C&TC eligible children by race and ethnicity, federal fiscal year 2020
| Race and ethnicity | Number of C&TC eligible children (1 to 20 years) |
Number of C&TC eligible children (1 to 20 years) with at least one dental service |
Percent C&TC eligible children (1 to 20 years) with at least one dental service within race and ethnicity groups (row percent) |
95% Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic/Latino | 61,722 | 24,458 | 39.60% | 39.2 to 40.0 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 14,772 | 5,591 | 37.80% | 37.1 to 38.6 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 168,074 | 62,067 | 36.90% | 36.1 to 37.7 |
| African American or Black | 26,723 | 9,481 | 35.50% | 34.9 to 36.1 |
| White | 73,572 | 25,975 | 35.30% | 35.0 to 35.7 |
| Two or more races | 24,675 | 8,502 | 34.50% | 33.9 to 35.0 |
Data include Child and Teen Checkups eligible children enrolled in a Minnesota Health Care Program for at least 90-continuous days during the federal fiscal year (FFY) (October 1 through September 30). Total eligible children (1 to 20 years) enrolled during FFY 2020 with a known single race and ethnicity or two or more races = 369,538. Unknown or missing race and ethnicity (not shown in this chart) = 66,226 with at least one dental service out of 188,504 eligible. Two or more races = any combination of two or more single race and ethnicity. This chart represents percent dental service use across race and ethnicity groups (row percentages). See About the Child and Teen Checkups Program (CMS-416) Report data for more information.
During federal fiscal year 2020, Hispanic/Latino children used more dental services than other racial/ethnic groups.
C&TC eligible children (1 to 20 years) dental service use, federal fiscal year 2020
Child and Teen Checkups eligible children include all children enrolled in a Minnesota Health Care Program (Medical Assistance or Medicaid, MNCare) for at least 90-continuous days during the federal fiscal year (FFY) (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30). Total eligible children (1 to 20 years) enrolled during FFY 2020 = 558,042. See About the Child and Teen Checkups Program (CMS-416) Report data for more information.
Cook County C&TC eligible children (49%) had the highest dental service use and Pipestone County C&TC eligible children (22%) had the lowest dental service use of all counties. Some counties were significantly different from the statewide rate.