AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange Focuses on Dental Programs for the Underserved

The February 27 issue of AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange features three programs that use innovative strategies to provide needed dental care to underserved populations. A Washington State program offers enhanced access to dental services for Medicaid-eligible children younger than 6 years. The comprehensive, multi-stakeholder program, known as Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD), uses training, enhanced reimbursement, and ongoing support for providers, combined with outreach, education, and support for eligible families. The local dental society and program coordinator worked with the University of Washington School of Dentistry to identify dentists who can champion the program in a given area. ABCD-certified dentists receive increased reimbursement from Medicaid for certain preventive and restorative procedures. The program coordinator identifies eligible children, educates their families about the importance of early oral care, and links children to a practice that matches their transportation, language, and family needs. The proportion of Medicaid-enrolled children ages 5 and younger who received dental care more than doubled after the program began, from 21 percent in 1997 to 51 percent in 2012. View more innovation profiles and tools related to dental health care for underserved populations on the Innovations Exchange Web site, which contains more than 750 searchable innovations and 1,500 Quality Tools.

Comprehensive Statewide Program Combines Training and Higher Reimbursement for Providers With Outreach and Education for Families, Enhancing Access to Dental Care for Low-Income Children | AHRQ Innovations Exchange

Dental Health Programs for Underserved Populations