Driving Change: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Expanding Mobile Dentistry in Wisconsin

Abstract

Oral health is vital to overall health and well-being; however, many Wisconsinites face challenges to accessing dental care. These challenges are heightened for Medicaid members, despite their access to comprehensive dental coverage. Mobile dental vans offer significant benefits by addressing oral health, including avoided costs related to heart disease, preterm birth, and ER visits. Educational benefits are captured by the avoided cost of high school dropouts, while commute cost savings reflect the avoided loss in wages from attending dental appointments. Key Findings: The median distribution of benefits represents that there is an equal chance of seeing benefits lower than the median (below median) as there is higher than the median (above median). The mean distribution of benefits is the average of each benefit that we calculated. Based on this, we estimate an annual net benefit of $111,470 per van, with an average savings of $55 per individual receiving routine dental care. Based on our breakeven analysis, only 45 percent of patients need to be new patients, who would otherwise not receive dental care, for benefits to exceed costs. We predict that new patients will represent 64 percent of those who will use mobile dentistry services. Recommendation: We recommend the Wisconsin Department of Health deploy one mobile dental unit that visits underserved communities. We make this recommendation because our analysis shows that one mobile dental van will produce benefits to individuals in underserved communities who struggle to receive routine dental care.