Children are more likely to see a dentist if referred by a pediatrician, but many children are not getting such a referral, researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill report in the journal Pediatrics (July 26, 2010).
The researchers studied 5,268 children ages 2 to 11 years in the 2004 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey.
They found that 47% of 2- to 5-year-olds and 37% of 6- to 11-year-olds had been advised to see the dentist. Children ages 2 to 5 who received a recommendation were more likely to have seen a dentist (odds ratio 2.89), but there was no difference among older children.
"Providers have the potential to play an important role in establishing a dental home for children at an early age," the researchers concluded. "Future research should examine potential interventions to increase effective dental referrals by health providers."
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