Less Than Half of Youths With Sickle Cell Received Dental Services in 2022
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- Only 42 percent of youths with sickle cell disease (SCD) received dental services in 2022, according to a research letter published online Sept. 3 in JAMA Network Open.
Ashley Kranz, Ph.D., from RAND Corporation in Arlington, Virginia, and colleagues examined receipt of dental services for youths with SCD benchmarked against the general population of Medicaid-enrolled youths in Michigan in 2022. Data were included for 1,096 youths aged 1 to 20 years with SCD and Michigan Medicaid and 1,181,391 youths aged 1 to 20 years with Michigan Medicaid.
The researchers found that the pediatric Medicaid population had similar rates of any dental services compared with youths with SCD (44 versus 42 percent), as well as similar rates of preventive dental services (40 versus 38 percent) and dental treatment (18 versus 15 percent). Most dental service rates were higher in the Medicaid population when examined by age group. For example, those aged 6 to 14 years with SCD were significantly less likely to receive any dental services and preventive dental services (50 versus 54 percent and 46 versus 51 percent, respectively).
"Our findings show that we need to take steps to make sure kids with this condition get the dental care they need -- by helping dentists feel more prepared to treat them and making sure doctors know how important dental health is for these children," senior author Sarah L. Reeves, M.P.H., Ph.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said in a statement.
One author disclosed ties to Cigna.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2025
Read this next
CKD May Be Tied to Higher Risk for Tooth Loss
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) appears to be associated with a higher risk for tooth loss, with a higher prevalence of CKD seen among individuals with...
Cessation of Public Water Fluoridation Would Increase Tooth Decay
TUESDAY, June 10, 2025 -- Cessation of public water fluoridation would increase tooth decay and health system costs in the United States, according to a study published online May...
New Classification System Accurate for Nasal Deformities in Cleft Lip and Palate
TUESDAY, June 10, 2025 -- A new classification system seems to be highly accurate for evaluating nasal deformities in infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP), according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.