More Smiles Facts
Over the years, More Smiles Wisconsin has touched thousands of lives. The statistics below provide some insight into the clinic’s work.
The Need for More Smiles:
Wisconsin has the country’s lowest rate of dental care for children on Medicaid. Providers say a large part of the problem is that dentistry and oral health are rarely prioritized when it comes to funding.
Doctors and dentists stress the importance of preventive dental care like regular dental checkups. BadgerCare, Wisconsin’s Medicaid program, does offer dental insurance, but with low reimbursement rates, many private dentists don't accept BadgerCare patients.
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In Dane County alone over 59,000 people are living in poverty and eligible for care at MSW.
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This figure uses the censuses 10.8% poverty rate at 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), on top of which there is a second layer of individuals between 101–200% FPL that rely on MSW for their dental care.
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As the only Medicaid safety-net clinic in Dane County, MSW is a dental home not only for those in the immediate area but for those from neighboring counties as well.
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Of the total unique zip codes reported by our patients, 36 percent travel into MSW from surrounding counties.
More Smiles Wisconsin staff after a hard day's work.
Patient Tom C. smiles with Dental assistant Courtney Olson after getting some much need fillings without breaking the bank.
Two mascots team up to bring Madison and the rest of Wisconsin more smiles.
More Smiles Wisconsin staff after a hard day's work.
The below graphic shows shows geographic access to dental care in the state of Wisconsin, from the American Dental Association. To see full pdf click here.
The majority of patients seen by More Smiles are in Madison, with 42% coming from just the 53703 zip code
75% of our patients live at or below 100% of the poverty line
More Smiles sees slightly more women at our clinic with about 60% female and 40% male patients
Nearly 50% of More Smiles patients do not have any dental insurance
Not everything More Smiles does can be captured in numbers. The stories and life-changing effects of care are even more important to the work we do. Visit our Facebook page to learn even more about More Smiles Wisconsin, and our patients and staff.
Based on the national Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly wage for dentists in Wisconsin.