Dental care is a mandatory benefit for most Medicaid eligibles under the age of 21, however, nationwide, the majority of low-income children enrolled in Medicaid do not receive any dental services in a given year. [...] In 2006, 50.9% of individuals under the age of 21 in the United States had private dental coverage, another 30.4% had public dental coverage (primarily Medicaid and SCHIP), and 18.7% had no dental coverage. [...] The percentage of individuals under age 21 that had a dental visit in 2006 varied by type of coverage-58.0% with private dental coverage had a dental visit that year, compared with 35.1% of those with public dental coverage and 26.3% of the subgroup with no dental coverage.4 The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that every child be seen by a dentist following the eruption o [...] Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD, at 5 As per 42 CFR 441.58; also see Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Guide to Children's Dental Care in Medicaid, October 2004, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Guideline on Periodicity of Examination, Preventive Dental Services, Ant [...] Beneficiary cost-sharing for services such as dental care is prohibited for children under age 18, and is optional for those ages 18-20.8 Federal law is intended to eliminate or significantly reduce major barriers to dental services for Medicaid children.