Parents place the same value on good dental care for their children as on other medical care and are more apt to obtain dental care if covered by an insurance plan, a new study finds.

Nearly nine in 10 Americans agree that it is equally important for their children to get good dental care and medical care, according to a survey of American children’s oral health, conducted on behalf of Delta Dental Plans Association.

Delta Dental, an Oak Brook, Ill.-based nonprofit, said it commissioned the survey to gain greater knowledge about the state of children’s oral health.

In a survey of 914 parents across the nation, 87% agree that good dental care and good medical care are equally important. In answer to a related question, four in five (79%) respondents say that dental benefits are extremely important.

About 80% of respondents said their child is covered by dental benefits.

A total of 69% of respondents with coverage said they would send their child to the dentist, while just 54% of those without coverage said they would obtain care for their child’s dental problems.

Children with dental coverage also obtain coverage at an earlier age, 2.5 years old, compared to children without coverage, who typically wait until age 3 to obtain care, the survey found.

About 130 million Americans lack dental coverage, Delta Dental reported.