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A first look: determinants of dental care for children in foster care
Author(s) -
Melbye M.,
Huebner C.E.,
Chi D.L.,
Hinderberger H.,
Milgrom P.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1754-4505.2012.00312.x
Subject(s) - medicaid , medicine , dental insurance , dental care , foster care , family medicine , oral health , foster home care , health care , oral health care , nursing , environmental health , suicide prevention , poison control , economics , economic growth
Purpose This hypothesis‐generating study sought to identify potential determinants of dental care use and oral health among children living in foster care. Method Using a grounded theory approach, fourteen key informant interviews were conducted among health and social services professionals experienced with children in foster care and families in western Washington State. Results The identified potential determinants of oral health and dental use among children living in foster care included: (1) linguistic and cultural barriers; (2) lack of dentists willing to accept children's Medicaid dental insurance; (3) lack of resources available to case workers (i.e., large caseload burden) (4) lack of federal funding for specialized dental care; (5) lack of systematic health record‐keeping; (6) child transience, leading to the lack of a dental home; (8) foster parents' competing needs; (7) child behavior problems; and (9) lack of dental “buy in” from adolescents. Conclusion Additional studies are needed to determine whether children living in foster care achieve oral health, and the extent of their unmet dental need.