Primary care physicians' role in promoting children's oral health.

Despite the fact that dental caries are preventable with ageappropriate and effective caries management through periodic dental visits, many children experience dental decay. Based on The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than a quarter of US children age 2 to 5 years and more than half of the children age 6 to 8 years had dental caries in the period of 1999–2004. The 2007-08 Rhode Island Third Grade Oral Health Survey reported that about half of third graders had experienced dental decay. Affordable dental insurance that covers preventive and restorative dental services increases the likelihood of obtaining dental care ,4 and is important to provide prevention, education, and early identification and treatment of oral diseases. In addition, many states including Rhode Island recognize primary care medical providers as key resources to improve access to preventive oral health services for children. The objectives of this report are to (a) document the percentage of Rhode Island children who received preventive oral health care within a year, (b) assess the association of dental insurance with children’s preventive dental care, and (c) describe the importance of RIte Care/Medicaid reimbursement to primary care providers for oral health services.