Ohio State University Reports Findings in Managed Care (The Association of Medical Periodicity Adherence and Early Preventive Dental Care With Subsequent Dental Utilization Among Medicaid-insured Ohio Children): Managed Care

2026 SEP 09 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Managed Care have been published. According to news reporting originating from Columbus, Ohio, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “To evaluate the association between preventive medical and dental visits before age 30 months with dental utilization after age 30 months. This retrospective cohort study used Medicaid enrollment and claims data from Partners for Kids, a pediatric accountable care organization in Ohio.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Ohio State University, “Medical periodicity adherence was defined by the HEDIS W30 measure, and early preventive dental care was defined as having a preventive dental visit by age 30 months. Dental utilization outcomes were measured from ages 30 months to eight years. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests of independence, and stratified, multiple-variable logistic regression were used in the analysis. Among 14,800 included children, 64 percent (n equals 9,322) met medical periodicity adherence and only 15 percent (n equals 2,141) met the early preventive dental care measure. Children who met both medical and dental measures had the highest frequency of caries-related treatment visits (50.3 percent, P<0.001), and had two times the odds of having a caries-related treatment visit (odds ratio equals 1.9, 95 percent confidence interval equals 1.7 to 2.1) than children who met neither measure. Medicaid-enrolled children were much more likely to complete their medical well-child visits than preventive dental visits. Physicians may be the initial source of dental care when access to dental care is limited.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Promoting earlier access to dental care or integrating dental care into medical well-child visits may improve pediatric oral health.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: The Association of Medical Periodicity Adherence and Early Preventive Dental Care With Subsequent Dental Utilization Among Medicaid-insured Ohio Children. Pediatric Dentistry, 2025;47(4):270-275. Pediatric Dentistry can be contacted at: Amer Acad Pediatric Dentistry, 211 E Chicago Avenue Suite 1036, Chicago, IL 60611-2616, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Beau D. Meyer, Ohio State University, Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Columbus, OH 43210, United States. Additional authors for this research include Allison Higgins, Jin Peng, Paul S. Casamassimo, Kimberly J. Hammersmith and David O. Danesh.

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