Wisconsin Medicaid enrollees’ recurrent use of emergency departments and physicians’ offices for treatment of nontraumatic dental conditions

Wisconsin is 90% fluoridated. Yet 24,000 Medicaid enrollees made dental related visits to Emergency Rooms and Physician offices, with 6.5 percent estimated to be frequent users of such care. People aged 19 to 42 years were more likely to be frequent users. Most dentists refuse Medicaid patients and are costing the US healthcare system hundreds of millions of dollars to fix the extensive tooth decay that could have been prevented with a cheap filling.

Wisconsin Medicaid enrollees’ recurrent use of emergency departments and physicians’ offices for treatment of nontraumatic dental conditions: "The effect of living in an area with a shortage of dental health care professionals did not affect the likelihood of being a frequent user of EDs and POs for such care."