America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2011

Oral Health

Oral health is an essential and integral component of overall health.⁴⁹ Good oral health requires both self-care and professional care. Regular dental visits provide an opportunity for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions. Routine dental visits are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry beginning at one year of age.⁵⁰ Dental caries (cavities) is the single most common disease of childhood.49 Since the early 1970s, the prevalence of dental caries in permanent teeth has dramatically declined in school-age children due to prevention efforts such as community water fluoridation programs and increased use of toothpastes containing flouride.⁴⁹ Dental caries, however, remains a significant problem among some racial or ethnic groups and among children in poverty.

Percentage of children ages 5–17 with a dental visit in the past year by age and poverty status, 1999–2009

• In 2009, 84 percent of children ages 5–17 had a dental visit in the past year; this was not significantly different from the percentage in 2008.
• Among children in poverty, 77 percent of those ages 5–11 and 74 percent of those ages 12–17 had a dental visit in the past year, whereas 89 and 88 percent, respectively, of children with family incomes 200 percent or more of the poverty level had a dental visit in the past year.
• Fifty-six percent of uninsured children ages 5–11 and 54 percent of uninsured children ages 12–17 had a dental visit, whereas 89 percent of children ages 5–11 and 12–17 with private health insurance had a dental visit.
• In 2009, children ages 2–4 were less likely to have had a dental visit in the past year (56 percent) than children ages 5–11 (85 percent) and children ages 12–17 (83 percent). Thirty-four percent of uninsured children ages 2–4 had a dental visit whereas 56 percent with private health insurance and 59 percent with public health insurance had a dental visit.

Indicator HC4.C: Percentage of children ages 5–17 with untreated dental caries (cavities) by age and poverty status, 1988–1994, 1999–2004, and 2005–2008

• In 2005–2008, 16 percent of children ages 5–17 had untreated dental caries (cavities) upon dental examination, a decrease from 23 percent in 1999–2004.
• In 2005–2008, 20 percent of children ages 5–11 and 12 percent of children ages 12–17 had untreated dental caries.
• The percentage of younger children (ages 5–11) with untreated dental caries declined from 27 percent in 1999–2004 to 20 percent in 2005–2008. For older children (ages 12–17) the percentage declined from 19 percent in 1999–2004 to 12 percent in 2005–2008.
• In 2005–2008, among families living in poverty, the percentage of both younger and older children with untreated dental caries was at least twice that of children in families with incomes at or above 200 percent of the poverty level.
• From 1999–2004 to 2005–2008, the percentage of children with untreated dental caries significantly declined for children living below the poverty level and for children in families with incomes at 100–199 percent of the poverty level.
• For both younger and older children, the percentage of children with untreated dental caries was higher among Mexican American and Black, non-Hispanic children than among White, non-Hispanic children.Control Condition: There is no control condition.

 HC4.A/B HTML Table, HC4.C HTML Table