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. It supports what dentists have been saying for years - that Wisconsin has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to increasing access to dental care for its low-income youngsters.

The WDA and its 3,000 member dentists have long recognized this problem and have developed some basic "Healthy Choices" proposals to help eliminate barriers to oral health care for our state's most vulnerable residents.

We believe Wisconsin's children will be far better served if our state's leaders make the 'healthy choices' to update the Wisconsin Dental Practice Act to:

• Ensure more people receive care more easily
• Encourage early prevention to stop dental problems before they start
• Offer real incentives for new dentists to settle in underserved areas
• Better support the state's dental assistance programs

Policymakers and dentists have an opportunity to work together on these "Healthy Choices" and do a better job of reducing barriers to dental care for our state's children.

Wisconsin should be leading the nation; another 'C' grade is unacceptable.

The fact that just three in 10 Medicaid-enrolled children in Wisconsin accessed dental care during the study year should impress upon the state the urgency of the need to increase patients' oral health literacy and improve their access to comprehensive care.

The WDA looks forward to working with legislators, the Governor's office, the Department of Health Services and other oral health advocates to make oral health a priority and Wisconsin a terrific - and healthy - place to be a kid.