Participants heard that while Wisconsin ranks at or near #1 in quality and availability of health care services generally, it is third from the bottom in oral health services.  Maldistribution of dental providers, insufficient preventive care, consequences of dental disease in children, inadequate Medicaid reimbursement levels and many other issues facing underserved populations contribute to the unsatisfactory status quo.  Economic and social consequences of these shortcomings are significantly higher than is generally known to the public or policy-makers. 

 

Participants were told that rural areas suffer barriers to oral health at higher rates than the state at large because of factors like geographic isolation, inadequate transportation, lack of fluoridated water supplies, higher poverty rates, a larger percentage of elderly people, acute provider shortages and few providers willing to treat Medicaid patients. Yet, a dentist in a rural community yields $1.4 million in economic activity in that community.   

 

The forum was addressed by Karen Timberlake, Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Sen. Robert Jauch (D, 25^th Senatorial District), Rep. Gary Tauchen (R, 6^th Assembly District), and Drs. Gary Cloud and Wayne Cottam of A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ.  Cloud and Cottam are principles in the development of a dental school that prepares dentists for service to the underserved.  The event format allowed for considerable interaction among participants and with these program contributors. 

 

Sec. Timberlake pointed out the auspicious timing of the event—just days after passage of the national comprehensive reform bill, and the issuance of Consultant Dr. Howard Bailit’s report to her department on Oral Health Education in Wisconsin.  The legislatively commissioned study examined the state’s role in expanding access to dental services in rural and underserved areas by considering the feasibility of a new dental school.  Several speakers pointed out the integral relationship between oral health and general health and the need to treat and insure patients to reflect that.  

 

Leaders who responded to the invitation to participate included representatives of, hospital, hygienist and primary care associations; county health departments, family health centers, public health facilities; Delta Dental; Dental Clinic of Marshfield; Marquette University School of Dentistry; UW Health and UW Extension; Wisconsin Dental Association, Wisconsin Department of Health; Wisconsin Legislative Council, Wisconsin Technical College System; Wisconsin Office of Rural Development; Wisconsin Rural Health Cooperative; Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, individual practitioners and many others.  The forum was designed to “bring all voices to the table” to consider key challenges to dental health and to providing dental services to rural residents and other underserved populations.

 

The forum was sponsored by the Council of Rural Initiatives (CRI), a nonprofit dedicated to facilitating implementation of the most significant recommendations of the Wisconsin Academy’s Future of Farming and Rural Life Study, published in October 2007.  Funding was provided by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health and the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative.  CRI has initiatives in all of the top three issues identified by the 2.5-year Future of Farming Study:  Rural Health Care, Rural Labor and Rural Community Sustainability. 

 

The Council of Rural Initiatives hopes to encourage collaboration among stakeholders to take on the issues that limit oral health care in rural counties.  This event was the first step in this process.  CRI plans to develop vehicles for educating the public and policy makers about the extent, criticality and urgency of addressing oral health issues in the State, particularly for rural residents.