One-third of Wisconsin dentists to retire within the next ten years.

The report identifies dental trends based on statewide dental survey.

Madison , Wisconsin is expected to lose approximately 360 dentists by 2010, while its population will increase 4.25% in the same time period according to a self-reported dentist data study released by the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association.

According to the study that evaluated 2001 data, one in three dentists plan to retire or leave practice in the next ten years. Only 20 percent of dentists reported seeing new Medicaid patients. The report also found that 15 counties (of 72) had no primary care dentists accepting new Medicaid patients; these counties had a total of 32,744 Medicaid enrollees. Less than a quarter of people on Medicaid actually received services that year.

One solution is to support programs that improve access to dental care such as the State Community Health Center Grant Program. The program provides state dollars to Community Health Centers to help improve access to health care services for the over 100,000 residents statewide that use Health Centers for primary medical and dental care. In 2001, over 40,000 dental services were provided at Wisconsin’s Community Health Centers.

The report was written by Gale R. Byck, PhD, Hollis J. Russinof, MUPP and Judith A. Cooksey, MD, MPH at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois Regional Health Workforce Center.

The Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association is a private, nonprofit association of Community and Migrant Health Centers, Health Care for the Homeless Program and other organizations and individuals concerned about access to health care for underserved rural and urban populations.

Association Releases Wisconsin Dentist Workforce Report:

Dental Workforce Report
Key Findings