Pediatric health experts analyzing the use of dental health services in the U.S. found that only 40% of children under the age of 18 receive proper dental care. The findings did not surprise the researchers as children are often uninsured and the out of pocket costs for normal dental maintenance averages $385 annually.
While the researchers found that about 66% of children are covered by private health insurance, 15% are completely uninsured. Black children were more likely than other children to rely on public insurance while Hispanic children were the most likely to be uninsured. Results showed that, in a one-year period, nearly 50% of white children received dental care, while less than 30% of black and Hispanic children visited the dentist.