School-Based Caries Prevention Programs and Recruitment of High-Risk Pediatric Medicaid Populations

Are children with prior dental care utilization more likely than those without prior utilization to participate in school-based caries prevention programs (SCPPs)?In this cross-sectional study of 63 217 children, having no prior dental visits was associated with a statistically significant 17% lower odds of SCPP participation compared with any prior visits. Having no emergency dental utilization was associated with a statistically significant 32% increased odds of SCPP participation compared with any emergency dental utilization.These findings suggest that children with high risk of unmet dental needs have a lower likelihood of participating in SCPPs; however, more evidence is needed to optimize strategies to recruit high-need children.

Corresponding Author: Shulamite S. Huang, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry, 386 Park Ave S, Room 1612, New York, NY 10016 (shulamite.huang@nyu.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.