BACKGROUND: We assessed the prevalence of dental disease among U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17years, as well as the impact of unmet dental needs on school absenteeism because of illness/injury within the past 12months.
METHODS: Data were from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children's Health (n=65,668). Unmet dental need was defined as lack of access to appropriate and timely preventive or therapeutic dental healthcare when needed within the past 12months. The impact of unmet dental needs on school absenteeism was measured using a multivariate generalized linear model with Poisson probability distribution (p<0.05).
RESULTS: Within the past 12months, 21.8% (10.8 million) of all U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17years had "a toothache, decayed teeth, or unfilled cavities." Of all U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-17years, 15.8% (7.8 million) reported any unmet dental need within the past 12months. The mean number of days of school absence because of illness/injury was higher among students with an unmet therapeutic dental need in the presence of a dental condition compared to those with no unmet dental need (β=0.25; p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced and sustained efforts are needed to increase access to dental services among underserved U.S. children and adolescents.