Change Indicator

Children that received a dental service by insurance type in Maine

  • Detailed
  • Sort / Rank
loading...

Why This Indicator Matters

Having routine dental care in childhood reduces dental problems later in life. Dental disease can affect children’s overall health, self-confidence, school readiness and future employment success. Poor oral health in childhood contributes to serious and costly complications for health and economic stability later in life.

What the data shows
In 2021, 47% of children with MaineCare and 67% of children with commercial insurance had at least one dental service during the calendar year. This is a higher rate than in the pandemic year of 2020, but lower than in 2019 when 61% for children with MaineCare and 73% for children with commercial insurance. In terms of numbers, 55,723 children had a dental service with commercial insurance in 2020 and 53,535 children with MaineCare had a dental service. 

For 2021, combining commercially insured and children with MaineCare, the highest rates of insured children with at least one dental service were in the counties of Cumberland, Kennebec, and York at 60%, 58% and 57% respectively. The counties with the lowest combined rates of insured children with a dental service in 2021 were Piscataquis, Washington and Hancock-- at rates of 49%, 50% and 50% respectively.


show more

Definition and Source

PROVIDER

Definition

This indicator compares the number and percent of children with Medicaid (known as MaineCare in Maine) to the number and percent of children with commercial insurance who received a dental service in the calendar year.

The data comes from the Maine Health Data Organization's All Payer Claims Dataset, and the numbers and percents reflect children (ages 0- 20) who had either MaineCare or commercial dental coverage for at least 11 months of the year, and who had at least one claim for a dental service.

Data Source

The Children's Oral Health Network of Maine provided the analysis. The data comes from the Maine Health Data Organization's All Payer Claims Dataset. Please refer to the MHDO website for more details regarding data restrictions and represented insurers.

Notes

Note that children without any dental coverage and children with intermittent coverage less than 11 months of the year are not included. Total refers to all children who have either continuous Medicaid or continuous commercial insurance. Total does not mean all children in Maine.

Updated January 2023.

Last Updated

January 2023