Reducing Dental Access Barriers for State-Insured Wisconsin Youth

Project Description Narrative:

Low-income families enrolled in Medicaid in Wisconsin face barriers to accessing dental care, including a shortage of providers accepting Medicaid and a lack of coordination between medical and dental care systems. As a result, children often suffer from untreated dental issues, leading to significant health complications like pain and infections that can impact their daily activities and influence learning outcomes.

Community Smiles Dental operates full-time safety net dental clinics that serve low-income families with children insured through Medicaid. Through this project, they aim to reduce barriers to dental care by expanding their services with a third clinic in Milwaukee County, improving patient navigation between medical and dental care and collaborating with MCW academic partners to improve care models. They will also develop educational programs to strengthen the public health dentistry workforce.