The Dental Service Expansion Project

Perhaps the most compelling indicators of the basic need for low-cost dental healthcare are the first hand stories.

Last summer an eight year old boy arrived at NWTC’s summer clinic in a great deal of pain. His face was swollen from an infection that started in one of his teeth. The dentist had to remove his tooth to fix a problem that could have easily been prevented if the boy had access to regular dental check-ups.  

The statistics that support this child's story indicate that his experience is all-too-common, and that lack of dental healthcare has an overwhelmingly negative impact on school performance. A Rotary Club study conducted in conjunction with the Green Bay Public School District found that upwards of 11,000 Green Bay Area Public School District children were in need of basic-to-emergency dental care. The study also indicated that low-income children have almost 12 times more restricted-activity days than their peers because of dental-related illness.

The Dental Service Expansion Project, which began in the summer of 2008, is designed to increase access to dental care for children and adults who are on Medical Assistance or uninsured. Last year nearly 2000 patient visits were completed through the program.

This is the second year of funding for the Dental Health Expansion Project thanks to the Basic Needs Giving Partnership. The $75,000 grant will fund a summer clinic for children and restorative care services for adults.

The collaborative partners for the Dental Service Expansion Project are Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and the Brown County Oral Health Partnership.