Indiana meets two of the eight policy benchmarks aimed at addressing children's dental health needs, one less than it met in 2010. The change in grade reflects the fact that the state's Medicaid reimbursement rates (relative to dentists' usual fees) fell below the national benchmark.
The state does not reimburse medical care providers for preventive dental health services, and Indiana is one of 10 states with very restrictive supervision laws for dental hygienists placing sealants in school sealant programs. These programs exist in less than one-quarter of high-risk schools. The state's bright spot is water fluoridation—about 94 percent of Indiana's residents receive fluoridated water.