According to a new study that will be printed in the July edition of Pediatrics, only about 1/3 of US children who are on Medicaid receive dental care in a single year. Although this percentage varies among states, there is no state in which more than 50% of children on Medicaid visit and receive care from dentists.

Even though this number has improved by 16% between 2002 and 2007, there are still many children who cannot access care due to the loss of school-based dental education programs, state budget cuts, low reimbursement rates that prevent providers from accepting Medicaid patients, and the overall lack of Medicaid dollars going toward dental care. Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has put goals in place for preventive services, the only long-lasting solution will be an increased investment in dental care.

Read the article here.