Welcome to the Wisconsin Dental Association

This section includes information about barriers to dental care in Wisconsin.

Institute of Medicine reports on improving access to oral health care
The Institute of Medicine released a consensus report on improving access to oral health care for vulnerable and underserved populations. It states that millions of Americans are not receiving dental care because of “persistent and systemic” barriers that disproportionately affect children, seniors, minorities and other vulnerable populations and offers recommendations.

The role of adequate work force in breaking down barriers to oral health care
The first in a series of American Dental Association papers examining the challenges and solutions to bringing good oral health to the millions of Americans—including as many as one-quarter of the nation’s children—who lack access to dental care, many of them suffering with untreated disease. It focuses on work force, an umbrella term for the numbers, location and makeup of the teams comprising dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants and other existing and proposed providers.

Pew Center on the States gives state of Wisconsin 'C' grade
The Pew Center on the States gave the state of Wisconsin a "C" in the center's annual report card on dental health policies for children. This report should serve as another wake-up call that the oral and overall health of our state's children is at risk.

Why dentists don't (and won't) cost-shift
The WDA explains why dentists don’t cost-shift the burdens of an underfunded state Medicaid program on to private-pay patients. Reasons are explained here.

Why the HMO dental system doesn't work
The Legislative Audit Bureau’s June 2008 report on the dental Medicaid HMO program provides proof that the HMO dental MA system costs the state more money while providing less access to dental care than the MA fee-for-service model.

Wisconsin Medicaid facts at-a-glance
Wisconsin’s dental Medicaid and BadgerCare programs are grossly underfunded, which denies patients necessary economic purchasing power. Increasing access depends on additional financial investment by the state, because coverage alone does not equal care.

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