Israel T Agaku1, Bukola G Olutola2, Akinyele O Adisa3, Enihomo M Obadan4, Constantine I Vardavas5. 1. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Global Tobacco Control, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: iagaku@post.harvard.edu. 2. School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. 3. Department of Oral Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. 4. Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. 5. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Global Tobacco Control, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We assessed the prevalence of dental disease among U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17 years, as well as the impact of unmet dental needs on school absenteeism because of illness/injury within the past 12 months. METHODS: Data were from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children's Health (n=65,680). Unmet dental need was defined as lack of access to appropriate and timely preventive or therapeutic dental healthcare when needed within the past 12 months. The impact of unmet dental needs on school absenteeism was measured using a multivariate generalized linear model with Poisson probability distribution (p<0.05). RESULTS: Within the past 12 months, 21.8% (10.8 million) of all U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17 years had "a toothache, decayed teeth, or unfilled cavities." Of all U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17 years, 15.8% (7.8 million) reported any unmet dental need (i.e., preventive and/or therapeutic dental need) within the past 12 months. The mean number of days of school absence because of illness/injury was higher among students with an unmet therapeutic dental need in the presence of a dental condition compared to those reporting no unmet dental need (β=0.25; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced and sustained efforts are needed to increase access to dental services among underserved U.S. children and adolescents.
BACKGROUND: We assessed the prevalence of dental disease among U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17 years, as well as the impact of unmet dental needs on school absenteeism because of illness/injury within the past 12 months. METHODS: Data were from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children's Health (n=65,680). Unmet dental need was defined as lack of access to appropriate and timely preventive or therapeutic dental healthcare when needed within the past 12 months. The impact of unmet dental needs on school absenteeism was measured using a multivariate generalized linear model with Poisson probability distribution (p<0.05). RESULTS: Within the past 12 months, 21.8% (10.8 million) of all U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17 years had "a toothache, decayed teeth, or unfilled cavities." Of all U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17 years, 15.8% (7.8 million) reported any unmet dental need (i.e., preventive and/or therapeutic dental need) within the past 12 months. The mean number of days of school absence because of illness/injury was higher among students with an unmet therapeutic dental need in the presence of a dental condition compared to those reporting no unmet dental need (β=0.25; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced and sustained efforts are needed to increase access to dental services among underserved U.S. children and adolescents.
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