At a Glance
In order to better meet the oral health needs of Wisconsin children, there is a need for greater collaboration and resource sharing between free and charitable dental clinics in order to ensure the sustainability of each individual clinic. Wisconsin provides one of the lowest Medicaid dental reimbursement rates in the country, and as a result many private dental practice providers do not accept Medicaid. This has led to poor outcomes in oral health as only 30 percent of children on Wisconsin Medicaid receive dental care- the lowest rate nationwide. The overarching goal of this project was to create a system that ensures dental care for every child who needs it by collaborating with local schools and dentists to provide that care. Although this project team faced challenges implementing the Hometown Smiles dental program in schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were able to establish relationships with schools, student service teams, local dentists and statewide programs. Additionally, a dedicated website was built to facilitate easy access to information and contacts for all partners involved. Looking to the future, this project is working to secure funding to implement Hometown Smiles in schools with the ultimate goal of being self-sustaining through BadgerCare.
The Challenge
Many private dental practice providers in Wisconsin do not accept Medicaid due to low reimbursement rates. In Dane County, only about 33 percent of the 400 dentists accept Medicaid and, of those, only a small fraction are accepting new patients. This has led to poor outcomes in oral health as only 30 percent of children on Wisconsin Medicaid receive dental care – the lowest rate nationwide. Low income residents have significantly higher needs as they often have limited oral health knowledge and access care only for urgent and emergent pain issues. These patients are served by a small group of free and charitable dental clinics. These clinics face a number of systemic and practical barriers to providing care due to the disconnect between the healthcare and dental industries and the fact that many of these clinics are started in rural areas with high need and limited resources. As a result, there is a need for greater collaboration and resource sharing between free and charitable dental clinics to improve the care provided and ensure the sustainability of each individual clinic.
Project Goals
The overarching goal of this project was to create a system that ensures dental care for every child who needs it. The project team aimed to provide preventative, diagnostic, and operative care to children without a dental home, particularly those who are on BadgerCare or do not have dental insurance. To achieve this goal, they planned to collaborate with local schools and dentists to provide follow-up care for these children.
Results
During the grant period, significant progress was made toward the development of Hometown Smiles, a program that assures students receiving BadgerCare or without insurance can access dental care. The team first established a working relationship with schools, student service teams and local dentists, and secured engagement with statewide programs including Seal-A-Smile and Bridging Brighter Smiles. A dedicated Hometown Smiles website was built to facilitate easy access to information and contacts for all partners involved. The website offers separate sections for schools and dentists, including resources such as FAQs, school champions, supporting documents and an overall program explanation.
The Verona Area School District made commitments to launch the program by Fall 2022, however the implementation of Hometown Smiles in schools faced delays due to setbacks such as scheduling conflicts, recruitment issues and most significantly, the COVID-19 pandemic. School safety protocols restricted access to the buildings, allowing only essential personnel, and as a result, the program was not permitted during this time. Despite these setbacks, Hometown Smiles has maintained interest with schools and dentists and remains committed to improving oral health disparities in children.
Looking to the Future
The project team is working to secure funding for the implementation of Hometown Smiles, with the ultimate goal of being self-sustaining through BadgerCare reimbursement.