Preventive Dental Care Utilization and Infective Endocarditis Among Georgia Medicaid Beneficiaries With Congenital Heart Defects, 2008–2019

Introduction Preventive dental care is recommended in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) to prevent infective endocarditis (IE). We examined average annual preventive dental care utilization and the association between preventive dental care and IE in children with CHD. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study examining children (1–18‐year‐olds), covered by Georgia Medicaid, with at least one CHD‐related ICD code and a healthcare encounter between 2008 and 2019. Preventive dental care encounters were based on Current Dental Terminology (CDT) codes (D1000‐D1999). CHD native anatomy was captured based on ICD‐9‐and‐10‐CM codes. Log binomial regression estimated adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for IE risk, controlling for sex, race and ethnicity, birth year cohort, rurality, and Social Deprivation Index. Results Of 61,024 children with CHD, 65.64% ( n = 40,058) had at least one annual preventive dental visit on average, of which 0.30% ( n = 181) had IE. For subgroups with valve or shunt lesions, having at least one annual preventive dental care visit showed a significantly lower risk of IE (aRR = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.18, 0.58, and aRR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.07, 0.38, respectively) compared to no dental visits. No association was found between preventive dental care and IE in those with severe CHD (aRR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.51, 1.26). Conclusions Although dental health is important for patients with CHD, and despite universal dental coverage, many children with CHD do not seek annual preventive dental care. Integrating dental health assessments into routine CHD management protocols is imperative not only to promote oral health but also to prevent IE.