Fewer than one in eight Medicaid-insured North Carolina children aged 1 to 5 years visits a dentist in any given year, a study published in the January issue of American Journal of Public Health shows.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted 11 seven-person focus groups that comprised racially and ethnically diverse caregivers from across the state. Researchers wanted to gain insight into caregivers’ experiences, attitudes and perceptions regarding barriers to dental care for their Medicaid-insured children.
Caregivers said they faced obstacles in searching for providers, finding transportation and arranging appointments when available times were limited. They described themselves as "discouraged and exhausted" by the process and, therefore, were not able to obtain dental care for their children.
Those who overcame these barriers reported encountering additional ones in the dental care setting. They included long waiting times and "judgmental, disrespectful and discriminatory behavior" from staff and providers because of their race and public-assistance status.
Researchers concluded that current suggestions for solving the dental care access problem probably will be insufficient until the barriers identified by caregivers in this study are addressed.
