Dental care plays an important role in the health and development of your child. Problems with infection, decay, and other oral maladies could have a lasting effect on a child's ability to eat and talk properly over time.

Many low-income families rely on Medicaid to provide funding for healthcare. If your children are covered by Medicaid, you need to take the time to understand how this program affects dental care.

Basic Care Coverage

All children who qualify for Medicaid coverage are entitled to basic dental care. The extent of this care includes tooth pain, infections, and restorations that are required (crowns or fillings), and routine oral examinations. By offering payment for these basic procedures, Medicaid hopes to prevent serious oral health problems from developing in young children.

You can use this knowledge to your advantage. When you know that basic dental care for your child will be covered by Medicaid, you don't have to avoid scheduling an appointment due to fear of financial limitations.

Advanced Care Coverage

Just because Medicaid doesn't explicitly cover advanced dental care doesn't mean that your child will not be able to receive the care he or she needs to correct serious oral issues.

Medicaid is a program that is managed by each individual state and the federal government in coordination with one another. This means that coverage specifications can vary from one state to the next. Your state may offer more extensive coverage than surrounding states.

Talk to a Medicaid representative to find out exactly which procedures are covered. Even if your state doesn't extend comprehensive coverage, any serious problems that are identified during routine oral care procedures will be covered by Medicaid insurance.

Dental Providers

Dentists who accept Medicaid insurance are only paid a fraction of the cost for each procedure they perform. This means that there is very little profit to be made when treating children with Medicaid insurance. As a result, only a limited number of dentists will partner with state and federal governments to accept Medicaid coverage.

Be sure that you carefully research each dentist in your area before making an appointment for your child. Call each dental office and ask specifically about Medicaid payments to determine which dentist is most willing to put in the extra time and effort required to bill your child's dental care to Medicaid.

Don't let income restrictions affect your child's oral health. Rely on a program like Medicaid dental care for your child's dental care in the future.