Poor oral health can lead to poor overall health of the body. Oral health affects our ability to speak, smile, eat, and show emotions. Oral diseases—such as cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer—cause pain and disability to millions of Americans each year and costs billions of dollars to treat annually. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. Receiving regular dental care is important for all. Even baby teeth need proper care to prevent cavities from forming. 

While Marathon County currently has an adequate dental provider rate, this could be impacted in the coming year by the national reset of Health Provider Service Area (HPSA) scores. The new scores will affect the ability of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to offer loan forgiveness programs, which boosts recruitment and retention of dentists.  

A key strategy that is very cost effective in preventing tooth decay is community water fluoridation. Currently 92% of Marathon County residents on a public water system have optimal levels of fluoridation.