Survey points to need for more oral health education

Nearly nine in 10 Americans agree that it's equally important for their children to get good dental care and medical care, according to a survey of primary caregivers in the U.S.

The survey, conducted by Morpace on behalf of Delta Dental Plans Association, was commissioned to gain greater knowledge about the state of children's oral health.

Random 15-minute telephone interviews were conducted with 914 primary caregivers of children from birth to age 11. The margin of error was +/-3.2.

Among the findings:

--87% of respondents agreed that good dental care and good medical care are equally important.

--79% of respondents said that dental benefits are extremely important

--80% said their child is covered by dental benefits.

The survey also showed that children covered by dental insurance are much more likely to have visited the dentist than uninsured children, 69% versus 54%, noted Jed Jacobson, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H., chief science officer and senior vice president at Delta Dental.

"Covered children also made their first visit to the dentist at an earlier age, at a mean of 2.5 years, compared to 3 years for uninsured children," Dr. Jacobson said. "And more than 85% of survey respondents who have benefits for their child rate dental coverage as very important. That's consistent with previous human resources surveys that show dental insurance is one of employees' top-rated employment benefits."

Unfortunately, some 130 million Americans don't have dental coverage, Dr. Jacobson added, indicating that there's a continuing need for more education to teach practices that will ensure lifelong oral health. "And since people overwhelmingly prefer the dentist and dental hygienist as their primary oral health information sources, dental benefits that encourage visits to the dentist are crucial."