Texas children have the highest reported rate of oral health problems in the country, according to data from the 2024 National Survey of Children’s Health.
The survey found that 21% of Texas children ages 1 to 17 experienced one or more oral health problems during the previous 12 months, the highest percentage reported by any state. Missouri was second at 20%, while Idaho and Mississippi were each at 18.1%.
More than tooth decay
A recent CW33 article described the findings as showing that Texas children have the “unhealthiest teeth” in the country and reported a figure of 18.6%.
However, the latest survey data show a rate of 21%, and there is another important distinction. The survey did not measure tooth decay alone.
Parents were asked whether their child had experienced oral health problems during the previous 12 months, including toothaches, bleeding gums, decayed teeth or cavities. A positive response to any of those conditions was counted as having one or more oral health problems.
The data therefore do not show that 21% of Texas children have tooth decay. They show that 21% experienced at least one of the oral health problems included in the survey.
Texas still ranks worst
That distinction doesn’t make the Texas numbers particularly comforting.
At 21%, Texas had the highest rate among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. By comparison, several states reported rates close to or below 10%, including Massachusetts at 9.9% and New Hampshire at 9%.
The findings are particularly relevant to Texas Medicaid because many children in the program depend upon Medicaid dental benefits for access to preventive and restorative dental care.
TDMR has reported extensively on concerns from Medicaid dental providers about reimbursement, prior authorizations, claims denials, audits, credentialing and other administrative burdens. The new numbers don’t establish that those issues are responsible for Texas’ poor showing, but they certainly raise questions about whether children are getting the dental care they need.
The data come from the 2024 National Survey of Children’s Health, conducted through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The state-level results are provided through the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative’s Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health.
Whatever the reasons, having more than one in five Texas children reporting an oral health problem over the course of a year deserves attention.