Oral Health Problems and Solutions in High-Risk Children and Young Adults

Purpose: The Coordinated Healthcare for Complex Kids (CHECK) project targets publically insured children and young adults with chronic diseases. The CHECK oral health program intervenes at individual, family, and community levels. This paper describes the baseline oral health status of CHECK patients. Methods: CHECK patients older than 18 years of age and caretakers of younger patients were asked about their oral health. Medicaid claims data were used to determine diagnoses and level of risk. Attendance data from the Chicago Public Schools was obtained to assess absenteeism. Results: Of the 5,509 CHECK patients, 1,122 (20.4%) reported some type of oral health problem in the last six months. The most common issue was a history of dental caries (N=753, 13.7%). The odds of oral health problems increased significantly in adolescents (odds ratio [OR]=1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.02 to 1.40) and young adults (OR=1.55; 95% CI=1.31 to 1.85) compared with children. Males were less likely than females to have oral health problems (OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.73 to 0.95). Worse general health was significantly associated with oral health problems. Conclusion: CHECK is implementing a multilevel comprehensive approach to address oral health problems.