Update on Children's Dental Health in America

Small Smiles continues to monitor the trends in dental care for children from low-income families.

From November 16- 18, a national online poll surveyed 210 parents of young children in households with annual incomes of $35,000 or less. The survey found that the number of parents who reported that their children lacked health insurance increased from 16 to 19 percent. Additionally, the percentage of parents who indicated a reliance on Medicaid and CHIP for dental care increased from 40 to 53 percent. Both of these indicators showed an increase from May when the first survey was taken.

However, there were positive signs that although more parents are relying on assistance during tough economic times, they are not sacrificing their children’s dental care – instead they are seeking out solutions for care, such as Small Smiles dental centers. Some encouraging signs from the survey include:

• The percentage indicating having to choose between dental care and other necessities for their children decreased from 44 to 38 percent.
• The number of parents who said their child visits a dentist less than once each year decreased from 74 to 36 percent.
• A smaller majority – 70 percent, down from 86 percent – said they have trouble finding a dentist to treat their children.