A 12-Year Comparison of Dental Treatment Patterns in the Primary and Early Permanent Dentition.

The purpose of this study was to examine trends in primary and early permanent dentition treatment patterns and the relationships between them. A secondary data analysis was performed using Medicaid claims from 2011 to 2022 for North Carolina children ages zero to 12 years. Trends and expenditures of two primary dental treatment patterns were analyzed: early childhood caries (ECC), defined as treatment to primary maxillary incisors and/or primary first molars in zero- to five-year-olds; and late childhood caries (LCC), which comprised treatment to the proximal surfaces of primary molars in six to 12-year-olds.

Dental Treatment and Expenditures Under General Anesthesia Among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in North Carolina.

Purpose: Many studies reporting dental utilization under general anesthesia (GA) are dated. The purpose of this study was to provide contemporaneous data about children receiving dental GA by: (1) determining trends in utilization and associated expenditures; and (2) examining the effects of provider distribution.

Methods: This time series cross-sectional study of Medicaid-eligible children ages zero to eight years old in North Carolina used aggregate Medicaid claims from State Fiscal Years (SFY) 2011 to 2015 to collect demographic and dental treatment information.

A Commentary on Pediatric Oral Health in North Carolina.

Pediatric oral health care in North Carolina has taken a unique path to its current form and will require similar innovation to counter headwinds to its continued success. This commentary describes that path and attempts to set a vision and strategy for the future that leverages Community Care of North Carolina's infrastructure and continues to promote the expansion of clinical guidelines for pediatric preventive oral health care for vulnerable populations.

Medicaid coverage for adults in North Carolina: what would a reduction in funding mean?

States can achieve short-term cost savings through a reduction in Medicaid adult dental benefits. This article presents an overview of the long-term consequences of a population of disadvantaged adults faced with a greater oral disease burden and the effect of poorer oral health on systemic health and quality of life.