What Are the Lasting Effects of Early Preventive Dental Care?

A team of researchers at Birmingham School of Public Health at the University of Alabama investigated early preventative dental care in children by analysing health insurance records. Interestingly, they found that early preventative dental care for infants under the age of 2 may result in higher dental expenditure, more dentist visits and more tooth decay treatment.

Key takeaways:

– Of 19,658 Medicaid records of infants in Alabama, US, 2% had received preventative dental care before the age of 2 years

– These children had more frequent treatment for decayed teeth (20%) and higher yearly spending on dental care ($168) compared to those who did not receive early care (11% and $87, respectively)

– Dentists can still smile – preventive dental care was not significantly associated with tooth decay-related treatment or spending

“We cannot definitively say whether early preventive dental visits reduce tooth decay with the available data.”

Read the full story here: http://news.dental/2017/03/08/lasting-effects-early-preventive-dental-care/