Early Childhood Caries and Asthma in the South Carolina Medicaid Population

Asthma and dental caries are the two most common infectious chronic diseases affecting children in the U.S. (Marx and Pretorius, 2004). Evidence shows that children with asthma are at an increased risk of early childhood caries, and this risk can be mitigated by early and regular preventive dental care.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine if there was a gap in dental services for South Carolina Medicaid children with asthma. Nine years of secondary data from the Medicaid Management Information System was used to better clarify the prevention-seeking dental behaviors of Medicaid-continuously enrolled children born in 1998, 1999, and 2000 who had been diagnosed with asthma prior to their second birthday (with diagnosis confirmed after age two) and followed for their first five years of life.

The study cohort (n=1,038) was 61% male, 57% black, 25% white; 89% of the cohort had at least one preventive dental visit. Overall, there was an average of 3.6 visits per child (3,408 visits total). There were fewer than five children who met the ADA standard of preventive visits twice a year. There were no factors that related significantly to having a preventive dental visit or using the emergency room for dental services.

It is critical for the public health community to realize the importance of prevention guidelines for dental health of all children; in the case of children with asthma, pediatricians and dentists must work hand-in-hand to make sure these children obtain regular preventive visits.