NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 06, 2014
Contact: Lulu Francois (215.825.8202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
PHMC statistics reveal gaps among racial groups, cost and access for children's dental care in Southeastern Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA— One in 10 children, or 67,600, in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) between the ages of four and 17 did not see a dentist in the past year, according to survey data from the 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, a survey conducted by Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) Center for Data Innovation. The number is even higher among minorities and children who face financial barriers.
These data are especially of interest in light of the American Dental Association's National Children's Dental Health Month this February, which raises awareness about the importance of developing good oral health habits at an early age.
The SEPA Household Health Survey data below focus on children's access to dental care in consideration of cost and lack of insurance.
Dental Care Access among Children in SEPA
Dental Visits in the Last Year
Approximately 67,600 children in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) between the ages of four and 17 did not see a dentist in the past year, representing one in 10 (9.8%) children in the region. Philadelphia County has the highest percentage of children who did not see a dentist in the past year (15.3%), followed by Delaware and Montgomery Counties (8.1% each), and Chester (5.6%) and Bucks Counties (3.8%).
Minority children are two to three times more likely not to have seen a dentist in the past year than non-minority children. Almost one in six Asian children (17.3%) did not have a dental visit in the previous year, followed closely by black (14.9%) and Latino (14.0%) children. In comparison to minority children, 5.5% of white children did not have a dental visit within the previous year.
Children without health insurance are almost five times more likely than insured children not to have seen a dentist in the past year; 40.4% of uninsured children did not have a dental visit in the previous year compared to 8.3% of insured children.
Children living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (15.3%) are twice as likely as children living at or above 200% of the FPL (7.3%) not to have seen a dentist in the past year.
No Dental Care Due to Cost
In the SEPA region, about 33,500 children (4.7%) were unable to see a dentist in the past year because of cost. Philadelphia (6.9%) has the highest percentage of children who did not receive dental care due to cost, followed by Chester (5.4%), Montgomery (4.0%), Bucks (3.4%), and Delaware (1.9%) Counties.
Black children are more likely than children of other races to forego needed dental care due to cost. Eight percent of black children (8.3%) did not receive dental care due to cost. In comparison to black children, about four percent of Asian, Latino, and white children did not see a dentist in the last year due to cost.
Children in fair or poor health (9.7%) are twice as likely not to have seen a dentist in the past year compared to children in good, very good, or excellent health (4.7%).
Uninsured children are 10 times more likely not to have seen a dentist when needed due to cost; nearly four in 10 children without medical insurance (38.4%) did not see a dentist in the previous year due to cost compared to 3.7 percent of insured children.
Children living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (8.4%) are more than twice as likely not to see a dentist in the past year due to cost than children living at or above 200 % of the FPL (3.3%).
The Household Health Survey is conducted by telephone and includes 10,000 households in the SEPA region (Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties). For more information about these findings, contact Lisa Kleiner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
About Public Health Management Corporation Center for Data Innovation
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. The Center for Data Innovation includes the Community Health Data Base (CHDB) and its annual Household Health Survey, one of the largest regional health surveys in the country. The Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of North Penn, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, North Penn Community Health Foundation, Thomas Scattergood Foundation, Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, and over 350 local agencies from the health, government, nonprofit and academic sectors, help to support the CHDB and survey. For more information visit www.phmc.org or contact Francine Axler at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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