Access to dental care is challenging for individuals in the US with low income. Evidence suggests that when access to dental care is restricted, individuals often seek treatment for nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) in emergency departments (EDs).^1-4 Although state Medicaid programs can provide dental coverage for adults with low income, adult dental benefits are optional and vary widely across states and over time. In California, Medicaid policy changes include the elimination of extensive dental benefits in July 2009, followed by incremental restoration of benefits in 2014 and 2018. This quasi-experimental analysis examines the association between policy changes in Medicaid dental benefits and NTDC ED visits in California via an interrupted time series design.

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