Although most professionals agree on the traditional recommendation that all children receive semi-annual preventive dental care with the child’s first visit occurring before the child’s first birthday, it appears that some parents are not aware of this recommendation. Parents of children who did not receive preventive dental care within the past year were asked if their children had needed preventive care during this time period. Overall, the parents of only 11.1 percent of children who did not receive dental care reported that their children had needed this care.

Again, parents’ perception of the need for preventive dental care rises with their children’s age. Of children who did not receive a preventive dental visit, parents of 20.4 percent of adolescents aged 12-17 and 17.4 percent of children aged 6-11 reported that their children had needed preventive dental care. However, parents of lower proportions of children aged 5 and under—ranging from 12.1 percent of 5-year-olds to less than 1 percent of 1-year-olds— reported a need for preventive dental care.

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[d]