Dental service use in Medicaid & other MHCP enrollees
Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) enrollees’ dental service use by:
Health care programs provide health insurance to low income Minnesotans
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) administers the Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) for qualifying low income Minnesotans. The two major programs included in these data are Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare
Learn more About Medicaid dental claims data.
Three in 10 MHCP enrollees receive at least one dental service a year
3 out of every 10
MHCP enrollees (all ages)
(27.5%, 95% CI = 27.4 to 27.6; n = 376,489 of 1,368,245)
Received at least one dental service
2020
A dental service is any diagnostic, preventive, or treatment service provided by or under the supervision of a dentist. In 2020, statistically fewer Minnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) enrollees received at least one dental service (28%), compared to the previous year (34%). This may be due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-present), which affected dental clinics’ mode of operation.
In general, MHCP enrollee dental service use remains relative unchanged over time (2020 = 27.5%, 2019 = 33.8%, 2018 = 33.5%, 2017 = 32.4%, 2016 = 31.0%, 2015 = 32.4% and 2014 = 33.7%).
Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) enrollees dental service use by age group, 2020
| Age group (years) | Total number MHCP enrollees | Number MHCP enrollees dental service use | Percent MHCP enrollees dental service use within age groups (row percent) | 95% Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | 195,717 | 36,774 | 18.8 | (18.6 to 19.0) |
| 6 to 20 | 422,326 | 154,584 | 36.6 | (36.5 to 36.7) |
| 21 to 55 | 548,110 | 134,889 | 24.6 | (24.5 to 24.7) |
| 56 to 69 | 140,597 | 37,564 | 26.7 | (26.5 to 26.9) |
| 70 to 84 | 42,101 | 9,555 | 22.7 | (22.3 to 23.1) |
| 85 to 100 | 19,394 | 3,123 | 16.1 | (15.6 to 16.6) |
| Total | 1,368,245 | 376,489 | 27.5 | (27.4 to 27.6) |
A dental service is any diagnostic, preventive or treatment service provided by or under the supervision of a dentist. Data include all Minnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) enrollees ages up to 100 years with at least one dental claim submitted during the calendar year (January 1 through December 31). See About the Medicaid dental claims data for more information.
Among Minnesota Health Care Program enrollees who received at least one dental service during 2020, the majority were between the ages of 6 and 20 years (40%).
Children under age 6 years were 55% less likely to have received a dental service compared to those ages 6 to 84 years.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend at least one dental visit each year, starting by a child’s first birthday, when the first tooth appears, or whichever comes first.
Minnesota Health Care Programs Enrollees
Dental Service Use, 2020
A dental service is any diagnostic, preventive or treatment service provided by or under the supervision of a dentist. Data include all Minnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) enrollees ages up to 100 years with at least one dental claim submitted during the calendar year (January 1 through December 31). See About the Medicaid dental claims data for more information.
In 2020, the counties with the least dental service use included Pipestone (12%), Rock (19%), Nobles (20%), and Pennington, Jackson, and Marshall (23% each).
The counties with the most dental service use included Becker, Itasca, Pope, and Sibley (34% each), Cook and Otter Tail (35% each), and Douglas (36%).
Last updated December 2021. Updates are made when data become available; not all data are available annually.