Children's Dental Benefits Match Medical in Importance

Nearly nine in 10 Americans agree that it’s equally important for their children to get good dental care and medical care.

That’s one of the key findings from a survey¹ of American children’s oral health, conducted on behalf of Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA), the nation’s leading dental benefits provider. Delta Dental of New Jersey is a member company of DDPA.

DDPA commissioned the survey to gain greater knowledge about the state of children’s oral health.

In a survey of 914 primary caregivers across the nation, 87% agree that good dental care and good medical care are equally important. In answer to a related question, four in five (79%) say that dental benefits are extremely important. Eighty percent say their children are 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%,” said D. Scott Navarro, D.D.S., Vice President, Professional Services and Dental Director, Delta Dental of New Jersey. “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. And more than 85% of survey respondents who have benefits for their children 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,” Navarro added. “Oral care is different from medical care. While medical coverage focuses on treating diseases and illness, dental coverage concentrates on prevention, usually through low-cost check-ups and cleanings. 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.”

¹Morpace Inc. conducted the 2009 Delta Dental Children’s Oral Health Survey. Random 15-minute telephone interviews were conducted nationally with 914 primary caregivers of children from birth to age 11. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of error is ±3.2% at a 95 percent confidence level.