Evidence-Based Practices for
Healthiest Wisconsin 2010

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Health priority: Access to primary and preventive health services

Objective: By 2010, increase by 10 percent the proportion of each of the following populations who receive ongoing preventive and restorative oral health care: Medicaid/BadgerCare, uninsured, and underinsured populations.

Sufficient Evidence for Effectiveness was found for the following interventions:

• Community water fluoridation programs (exit DHS)
  
  
• School-based and school-linked dental sealant delivery programs (PDF, 21 KB)

Insufficient Evidence to Determine Effectiveness was found for the following interventions:

• Efforts to encourage oral health screening by other health care providers  (PDF, 21 KB)
  
  
• Efforts to engage Head Start personnel in promoting oral health care  (PDF, 29 KB)
  
  
• Increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for oral health care  (PDF, 24 KB)
  
  
• Partnerships to improve state-based oral health services and strengthen the oral health safety net (PDF, 26 KB)
  
  
• Policies to broaden the scope of dental hygienists' practice  (PDF, 29 KB)
  
  
• Programs to educate the public about oral health (PDF, 22 KB)
  
  
• Programs to increase enrollment in insurance programs that provide access to dental care (e.g., State Children's Health Insurance Program/BadgerCare)  (PDF, 25 KB)
  
  
• Strategies to increase the availability of dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants in underserved areas (PDF, 35 KB)
  
  
• Strategies to increase the number of dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants  (PDF, 35 KB)
  
  
• Streamlining Medicaid's administrative procedures for oral health care  (PDF, 33 KB)
  
  
• Training and educational programs to increase cultural awareness and competency among oral health providers  (PDF, 32 KB)

Mixed Evidence was found for the following interventions:
(none)

Sufficient Evidence for Ineffectiveness was found for the following interventions:
(none)

Limitations/Comments:
There is a limited amount of literature that evaluates programs and policies aimed at improving access to oral health care and reducing disparities in this area. Moreover, existing research tends to focus on narrow geographic areas or populations (e.g., children). Because there is a limited amount of research examining current efforts to increase access to ongoing and restorative care, most interventions outlined in this section are categorized under "insufficient evidence to determine effectiveness."

Additional Resources:
Albert DA, McManus JM, Mitchell DA. Models for Delivering School-Based Dental Care. The Journal of School Health 2005 May;75(5):157.

American Dental Association. State Innovations to Improve Access to Oral Health Care for Low-Income Children: A Compendium Update. 2005. Available at: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/ada/20973/#. Accessed June 20, 2005.

American Dental Association. State and Community Models for Improving Access to Dental Care for the Underserved - A White Paper. 2005. Available at: http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/topics_access_whitepaper.pdf. Accessed June 20, 2005.

Formicola AJ, Ro M, Marshall S, Derksen D, et al. Strengthening the Oral Health Safety Net: Delivery Models That Improve Access to Oral Health Care for Uninsured and Underserved Populations. American Journal of Public Health 2004 May; 94(5):702.

Report of the Governor's Task Force to Improve Access to Oral Health, 2005. Available at:
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/health/Oral_Health/taskforce/index.htm. Accessed July 8, 2005.

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Last Revised: October 24, 2008