Medicaid Patients’ Use of Dental Benefits

Abstract

Oregon Health Plan patients experienced reduction to their dental coverage in 2003. This study explores Medicaid patients' use of those dental services that are still offered to them and the effect of their use on self-assessment of their oral health. A phone survey was conducted in 2017 and collected a sample of 293 Medicaid patients in Oregon. Only two thirds of participants reported that they have a regular dentist. Participants were more likely to rate their overall health as Excellent/Good when also rating their gum health as Excellent/Good. Low English Proficiency (LEP) patients were NOT less likely to visit their dentist. Background Dental is Healthcare For years, dental care has been unreachable for many in the United States. During WWII, 10% of recruits to the US Armed Forces failed their oral health service requirements (Donoff et al., 2014). It was so concerning that President Harry Truman signed the National Dental Research Act in 1948, currently known as the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research. The goal of this act was "to improve the dental health of the people of the United States" (Donoff et al., 2014). Regardless of the efforts made by this act, Americans still struggle to receive dental care today; dental care has become a heavy cost to individuals (National Research Council, 2012). Furthermore, the lack of integration of oral care in medical coverage and the harmful separation between the mouth and the body as a whole led to heavy costs