Oral Health Program: Information for Health Care Professionals

This webpage provides professionals with information about oral health and resources to share with patients. Members of the general public can find information and resources on our Information for All webpage.

A group of medical professionals

Resources

Explore each section below to locate the information you find most helpful.

Thumbnail of antibiotics before dental procedures factsheet.

Antibiotics Before Dental Procedures, P-01966 (PDF) Department of Health Services (DHS) publication: Information for patients about taking Antibiotics Before Dental Procedures.

Thumbnail of Dementia friendly dentists fact sheet.

Dementia-Friendly Dentists, P-01269a (PDF) DHS publication: Information on the changing oral health care needs of people living with dementia, how dementia-friendly dentists can help and access resources.

Thumbnail of oral health and chronic disease prevention fact sheet.

Oral Health and Chronic Disease, P-02106 (PDF) DHS publication: Information on the connection between Oral Health and Chronic Disease, offers tips and resources for prevention.

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Oral Health and Diabetes, P-00140 (PDF) DHS publication: Explains the relationship between diabetes and oral health. Learn oral symptoms of diabetes, tips for maintaining a healthy mouth, and some Wisconsin specific facts on oral health and diabetes.

Thumbnail of Oral health and general health fact sheet.

Oral Health Affects General Health, P-00159 (PDF) DHS publication: Explains the relationship between general health and oral health. Learn about oral diseases, tips for improving oral health, and some Wisconsin specific facts.

Other resources

Thumbnail of antibiotics before dental procedures factsheet.

Antibiotics Before Dental Procedures, P-01966 (PDF)

DHS publication: Information for patients about taking Antibiotics Before Dental Procedures.

Other resources

Thumbnail of milestones for mini mouths fact sheet.

Protect Tiny Teeth, Milestones for Mini-Mouths: Infographic, P-90034a DHS publication, English-Spanish: Information on caring for a baby's mouth from newborn to age 1.

Thumbnail of protect tiny teeth English poster.

Protect Tiny Teeth: Poster, P-90034 DHS publication, English-Spanish: Poster illustrating the importance of caring for baby's gums.

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Children's Oral Health, P-44534 (PDF) DHS publication: Fact sheet explaining children's oral health and how parents can help children take care of their oral health.

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Medicaid HealthCheck Brochure, P-01007 (PDF) DHS publication: Brochure explaining a child's Medicaid benefit called HealthCheck.

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Something to Smile About, P-00221 (PDF) DHS publication: Set of 22 slides providing parent education on children's oral health.

Thumbnail of healthy teeth for happy smiles oral health tips for parents and caregivers brochure.

Healthy Teeth for Happy Smiles, P-44078 (PDF) DHS publication: Brochure with oral health tips for caregivers of babies and children.

Other resources

  Get free help to quit commercial tobacco and nicotine

Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line

Customized plans and coaching
Ages 13+
 800-Quit-Now
 Text "READY" to 34191
 WI Tobacco Quit Line website

Live Vape Free

Text support to quit e-cigarettes
Ages 13-26
 Text "VAPEFREE" to 873373
 Live Vape Free website

American Indian Quit Line

Culturally tailored coaching
Ages 18+
 888-7Ai-Quit
 American Indian Quit Line website

First Breath

Support during and after pregnancy
Ages 18+
 First Breath website

  • First Breath Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation: Wisconsin’s free program to help people make positive changes to their commercial tobacco, alcohol and substance use during pregnancy & beyond.
  • Medicaid / BadgerCare and Quitting Tobacco Fact Sheets University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI): Medicaid/BadgerCare coverage for tobacco-dependence treatment applies to treatment provided by any Medicaid-certified Wisconsin physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Visit link to learn more.
  • Tobacco is Changing DHS: Information on how commercial Tobacco is Changing, identifying new products, understand marketing tactics, tobacco data and how to talk to kids about commercial tobacco.
  • Tobacco Fact Sheets University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI), English-Hmong-Spanish: Comprehensive list of free materials to be reprinted and distributed by health care professionals and others.
  • UW-CTRI Treatment by Specialty UW-CTRI: Tobacco treatment resources for dentists and dental hygienists including trainings, toolkits, videos, and fact sheets.
  • Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line UW-CTRI: The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line is a free service to help people quit smoking, vaping, or other commercial tobacco use. Free 24/7 to any Wisconsin resident who is at least 13 years old.  Call 1-800-Quit-Now or  Text "READY" to 34191.
  • Smoking and Tobacco Use CDC, English-Spanish: Links to clinician resources and information created and maintained by other public, private, and international organizations.
  • TERL Tobacco Education Resource Library: Information focused on public health education, smoking cessation, tobacco research, retailer information, tobacco regulations, and compliance—all in one place.
  • Implementing & Fostering QuitLine Referrals: A Guide for Oral Health Professionals ADA publication: A toolkit that offers dentists guidance on managing and how to refer patients to State QuitLines to support tobacco and vaping cessation efforts.

Community Water Fluoridation and Fluoride DHS: Important topics for both Health Care Professionals and Water Operators.

Find accurate information on the mineral fluoride and community water fluoridation, including resources for communicating with the general public on these important topics.

  • Environmental Public Health Tracking System: Oral Health DHS: Public health professionals track oral health data in order to educate their communities and plan prevention efforts. This page is for data users of the Wisconsin Environmental Public Health Tracking data portal.
  • Oral Health Program: Data and Reports DHS: Provides timely and accurate data on oral disease burden, prevention and risk behaviors, access, and workforce in Wisconsin. These data are essential to the development of public health programs that directly improve the oral health of all Wisconsinites. Review Wisconsin reports and briefings and explore interactive data dashboards.
  • National Oral Health Surveillance System National Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS): Collaborative effort between CDC’s Division of Oral Health and the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD). NOHSS monitors the burden of oral disease, use of the oral health care delivery system, and the status of community water fluoridation on state and national levels. Data for NOHSS indicators are updated in the CDC Oral Health Data webpage as new data become available.

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Dental Sealants, P-40110 (PDF) DHS publication: Explains dental sealants, their role in preventing tooth decay, and how a school-based oral health program is helping students in Wisconsin.

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Selecting a School-Based Oral Health Care Program, P-00437 (PDF) DHS publication: Assists school staff in selecting a school-based oral health care program.

Other resources

  • Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile DHS, English-Spanish: Information on Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile (SAS) local school-based oral health programs that provide preventive dental care to children in schools across Wisconsin.
  • Dental Sealants: A Resource Guide National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC): Information on policy, practice guidance, professional education and training, public education, and state and local programs to help promote the use of dental sealants. Visit Seal America: The Prevention Invention for information on launching, improving, and sustaining school-based dental sealant programs and addressing issues related to referring students with unmet oral health needs to a dental clinic or office.
  • Pew Charitable Trusts Report on Dental Sealants Pew Charitable Trusts: Pew's 50-state report focuses on prevention, examining states' efforts to improve access to sealants for low-income kids.   Download Wisconsin's report (PDF) on progress.

Wisconsin DHS dental health care professionals follow CDC Infection Prevention and Control in Dental Settings evidence-based guidelines

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Infection Control in Dental Settings, P-01808 (PDF)

DHS publication: Checklist serves as a reminder of the CDC Infection Prevention Guidelines and Recommendations for Dental Settings, and provides links to the guidelines and CDC DentalCheck App.

Other resources

  • Boil Water Advisory Toolkit-OSAP Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP): Safe drinking water in dental offices toolkit with regulations and guidelines, best practices, instructional and patient resources.   Download the Boil Water-Dental Office Guidance quick reference.
  • Basic Expectations for Safe Care Modules CDC training: 10 modules can be used to educate and train infection prevention coordinators, educators, consultants, and other dental health care personnel on seven elements of standard precautions, dental unit water quality, and program evaluation.
  • Foundations: Building the Safest Dental Visit CDC training - three CE credits: Web-based, interactive, self-paced training provides an overview of the basic expectations for safe care—the principles of infection prevention and control that form the basis for CDC recommendations for dental healthcare settings. Training videos, explain the fundamentals of infection prevention and control, donning and doffing personal protective equipment, and instrument reprocessing.

Find guidance for Wisconsin oral health care professionals on licensing rules and regulations. Scroll down to the regulations and guidance section to learn more about:

  • Changes to Wis. Admin. Code.
  • Dental Hygienist and Dentist licensing requirements and renewal, practice settings, supervision, limitations, career options, and professional organization support.
  • Dentist licensing requirements and renewal, practice settings, vaccine administration and limitations, and professional organization support.
  • Medicaid/BadgerCare Plus provider enrollment, revalidation, billing, and resources.
  • Mobile dentistry, including requirements and registration.
  • Regulations and guidance for dental radiography.
  • Department of Safety and Professional Services links.

Wisconsin Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus information for oral health care professionals

Visit Oral Health Program: Workforce and scroll down to the section titled,
"Be Their Reason to Smile—Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus providers in Wisconsin" to:

Learn more about:

  • What dentists say about being a Medicaid provider in Wisconsin.
  • How dentists and dental hygienists help their communities.
  • How to enroll as a provider and when to revalidate enrollment.
  • Step by step billing instructions for dental services.
  • Who to contact when you have questions.

ForwardHealth information to share with patients

  Use the ACCESS website to apply for Wisconsin Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus.

  ForwardHealth Search Tool—Find a Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus dental provider.

  ForwardHealth Program Resources—Learn what patients need to know about each ForwardHealth program. Includes details about benefits, contacts, and forms for programs like Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, and SeniorCare.

ForwardHealth Member Service line 1-800-362-3002
Available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (Central Time, with the exception of state-observed holidays). Members should call Member Service for enrollment and benefit information.
Dental Ombudsman: email Donna Gresen at Donna.Gresens@wisconsin.gov or call 1-800-947-9627, option 4

Thumbnail of Medicaid HealthCheck brochure.

Medicaid HealthCheck Brochure, P-01007 (PDF)

DHS publication: Brochure explaining a child's Medicaid benefit called HealthCheck.

Learn more about:

UW Addiction Consultation Provider Hotline DHS and UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health: The UW Addiction Consultation Provider Hotline offers on-call help to health care providers seeking support and direction in treating their patients’ substance use problems. Hotline available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Madison area providers call: 608-263-3260

Statewide providers call: 1-800-472-0111

When making a call please request to speak with the addiction medicine provider on-call. All calls are returned within 15 minutes.

Thumbnail of Oral cancer factsheet.

Oral Cancer, P-00216 (PDF)

DHS publication: Fact sheet explaining oral cancer, its connection to oral health, symptoms, causes, prevention and Wisconsin facts.

Other resources

Thumbnail of Now, you're brushing for two poster.

Brushing for Two: Poster, P-90033 DHS publication, English-Spanish: Reminds pregnant people to get a dental check-up before delivery.

Thumbnail of Oral health during pregnancy fact sheet

Oral Health During Pregnancy, P-00137 (PDF) DHS publication: Learn how oral health changes during pregnancy, understand why oral health matters, and find tips to keep a pregnant person and their baby healthy.

Thumbnail of Questions moms are asking about oral health English brochure.

Provider Guide: Questions Moms are Asking About Oral Health, P-90032 DHS publication, English-Spanish: Trifold brochure answers questions about oral health during pregnancy and caring for an infant's mouth.

Other resources

  • First Breath Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation: Wisconsin’s free program to help people make positive changes to their commercial tobacco, alcohol and substance use during pregnancy & beyond.
  • Oral Health Campaign Toolkit AAP: Customizable materials for patient outreach and education around oral health as well as clinical resources to help integrate oral health into practice. Providers find conversation tactics for talking with patients about the safety and importance of dental care during pregnancy, healthy tips, and more.

Dental hygienist career opportunities

The Wisconsin Oral Health Program partnered with dental hygienists on a webinar series offering a glimpse into career opportunities available to Licensed Dental Hygienists in Wisconsin. Each hygienist shares their unique story. You will know what inspires them; understand their passion for their work and the patients they serve; and will learn helpful information for anyone interested in a career in similar practice settings.

  • Dental Hygiene in Wisconsin DHS: Is the best place to start if you are exploring dental career options or have a dental hygiene license from another state and want to practice in WI. Learn about education, WI licensing, scope of practice, supervision, compensation and more.
  • Dental Hygiene in Wisconsin: Local Health Department DHS: Provides an opportunity to understand public health hygienists and their varying roles. Public health hygienists may interact with patients in a school, senior center, or other community location. They help patients get dental care and may even learn expanded skills like teaching CPR, planning for emergencies, and responding to the community’s unique needs.
  • Hygienists in Medical Dental Integration DHS: Reminds us that oral health is part of overall health. Not all patients see a dentist first. What happens when patients arrive for a medical visit with dental problems? Hygienists in medical settings often educate pregnant moms, see children during well child visits, and consult with urgent care doctors on dental related concerns. Having a dental hygienist in the medical office can streamline care, help reduce emergency department visits related to tooth or mouth pain and impact overall health outcomes.
  • Oh, Get a Job, Already! What is dental hygiene? DHS: Direct access dental hygienist, JenJen Reed, shares how mentors helped spark and encourage her dream career. As a first-generation Asian American she faced many barriers. By allowing her passion to lead, she became the first of her generation to start her own hygiene business serving medically compromised adults in Wisconsin nursing homes.
  • Wi RDH: School-Based Setting DHS: Teaches the value of dental hygienists in school-based settings. Many children have trouble accessing dental care but, bringing dental services into schools can help. Since all programs differ, networking with others in your community is key to strengthening each one and helping more children. Learn tips for getting started, realistic timelines, best practices and understand unique considerations for business ownership.
  • WI Dental Hygienist in a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center DHS: offers insight into an amazing life and career journey as it overlaps to cross oceans, remove language and cultural barriers, and find solid footing as part of a comprehensive team addressing a variety of healthcare needs for patients. Learn that opportunities for dental hygienists seem endless. They can work in a dental office, mobile dentistry program, be a language translator or even help a single mom receive life-saving cancer treatment. Sometimes, it is all part of an overlapping journey that fills one’s heart to overflowing.
  • Nonprofit Dental Clinic Learning Sessions with D4 Practice Solutions DHS: The Wisconsin Oral Health Program partnered with D4 Practice Solutions to create a training series on dental clinic operation and management for safety net dental clinics. Available trainings include:
    • A Practical Approach for Oral Health Integration
    • Basics of Dental Practice Transformation
    • Creating the Plan for Dental Program Sustainability
    • Managing for Success—Safety Net Dental Programs
    • Managing Quality When Time and Resources are Scarce
    • Practical Applications of TeleDentistry
    • Program Evaluation for Dental Programs
    • Work Hard Get Paid
  • Workforce DHS: Wisconsin oral health workforce information on licensing rules and regulations for providers, changes to Wis. Admin. Code, Medicaid/BadgerCare Plus provider enrollment, revalidation, billing, and resources; and mobile dentistry requirements.
  • Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication CDC’s Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication emphasize the importance of addressing all people inclusively and respectfully. These principles are intended to help public health professionals, particularly health communicators, within and outside of CDC ensure their communication products and strategies adapt to the specific cultural, linguistic, environmental, and historical situation of each population or audience of focus.
  • The Ins, Outs and In-Between: How Dental Medicaid Works and How It Can Work for You ADA training- 1 CE credit: Dental Medicaid benefits can be a confusing process, but that doesn’t mean your bottom line can’t benefit from participation. Being a Medicaid provider – even for a few patients per week – can enhance your community stature, increase legislative effectiveness, and help the dental profession. Learn more about how it works (and can work for you) from dentists who take Medicaid in their practices, with concrete tips based on their own personal experiences including appropriate documentation, patient management and a journey into cultural competence that will elevate your entire practice.

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Glossary

 
Last revised July 25, 2024