Researcher(s)
- Bhavini Shah, Medical Diagnostics, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Daniel Meara, ChristianaCare,
Abstract
Background: Prior to 2020, adult Medicaid beneficiaries in Delaware lacked coverage for routine dental care, contributing to preventable and costly hospitalizations for severe odontogenic infections. In 2020, Delaware implemented a policy providing non-emergency dental benefits to Medicaid recipients.
Objective: To assess the association between expanded adult Medicaid dental coverage and changes in hospital admission rates and infection severity for odontogenic facial and neck infections.
Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted analyzing over 10,000 patient records before and after the 2020 policy implementation. Charts were evaluated for demographic and clinical variables, including age, sex, insurance status, and infection severity.
Results: Following policy implementation, total hospitalizations for odontogenic infections consistently decreased. The proportion of hospitalized patients with Medicaid coverage declined from 50% to 45%. Concurrently, average infection severity among hospitalized patients increased.
Conclusion: Expanded Medicaid dental coverage was associated with a sustained reduction in odontogenic infection hospitalizations. The increase in mean infection severity suggests that routine outpatient care successfully diverted less severe infections away from inpatient settings. While further research is needed to account for confounding variables, these findings highlight the preventative value of adult Medicaid dental coverage.