Department Awards $331,470 Dental Grant to Expand Dental Services in Waukesha County MADISON - Department of Health and Family Services Secretary Kevin R. Hayden Waukesha Memorial Hospital Foundation a $331,470 grant to open a dental clinic in Waukesha for low-income families. "This grant will help the Waukesha Memorial Hospital Foundation and Waukesha County Dental Coalition open a dental office so more people across southeastern Wisconsin will be able to get the dental care they need," said Secretary Hayden. "We’re working with local communities to open dental clinics or partner with existing clinics to help serve children and families who otherwise don’t have access to dental care." The Waukesha Memorial Hospital is donating space for the six chair dental clinic. The clinic will be run by the Waukesha County Dental Coalition. The clinic is planning to open in January 2008 and provide dental services to over 3,000 Waukesha County residents during its first year. Waukesha County Dental Coalition has led a community wide effort to address the critical need for increased access to oral health care. Dental decay is the number one chronic disease of childhood, particularly among low-income children who often do not have access to a dentist. In fact, 70 percent of children who are eligible for dental care are not getting the services they are eligible for because they can not find dentists who will accept Medicaid patients. Not only children, but many low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities also struggle to find oral health care services - even if they are on Medicaid, BadgerCare, or Healthy Start - because there is not a dentist in their area who will accept Medicaid patients. Wisconsin currently provides comprehensive dental coverage for approximately 500,000 children and adults enrolled in Medicaid, BadgerCare, and Healthy Start, but 75 percent of these individuals do not have access to a dental care provider. Governor Doyle has been working to provide children and families in Wisconsin with access to comprehensive dental care. In September 2006, the Governor made a permanent change to Medicaid rule that allows dental hygienists to be reimbursed by Medicaid for qualified dental care services. As part of his BadgerCare Plus program, Governor Doyle will invest $8.8 million to create a new statewide system that will expand access to dental care for children and families across Wisconsin. These funds will be used to implement new strategies to ensure that all children and families enrolled in the BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid will have access to comprehensive dental care. The system will provide access to preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental services for eligible children and families.