Increased public reimbursement for prophylactic visits with dentists associated with increased receipt of preventive dental services in children.

<bold>Objective: </bold>To determine whether higher reimbursement for children's preventive dentistry correlates with greater utilization of preventive dental care.<bold>Methods: </bold>A cross-sectional analysis of National Survey of Children's Health 2011/2012 was conducted, combined with state Medicaid reimbursement rates for preventive dentistry. Analyses included prevalence, unadjusted odds ratios, and multivariable logistic regression for receipt of preventive dental services.<bold>Results: </bold>Of all surveyed American children 1-17 years, almost 20 percent had not received preventive dental care in prior year; this percentage is even higher in those with public insurance. Each $10 increase in state reimbursement was associated with a 17 percent decrease in odds of children not receiving preventive services.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Higher state reimbursement for preventive services may increase children's receipt of preventive dental care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]