Working to improve the oral health of all Illinois residents.

Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation, Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and Michael Reese Health Trust seek to motivate oral health practitioners, healthcare providers, policy makers, insurers and educators in Illinois to find solutions to improve the oral health of children and adults, and ensure access to preventive and treatment oral health services. That’s why they funded a comprehensive state oral health report — Oral Health in Illinois.

Building on efforts to advance oral health in Illinois, the report gives a comprehensive snapshot of the state of oral health across the lifespan of Illinoisans living in rural, suburban and urban communities. It also offers a blueprint for achieving better health moving forward for all our residents — from pregnancy and infancy through older adulthood.

Oral health is a key part of the health and well-being of all Illinoisans, no matter age. Tooth decay and oral diseases are among the most prevalent chronic health problems in the U.S. and in Illinois. The good news is that most oral health diseases are preventable or treatable. Learn more.

Untreated cavities and other oral health problems are high among Illinois children — especially children living in poverty and rural areas. Learn more.

Approximately one in four Illinois adults have untreated tooth decay. An adult’s oral health depends largely on factors such as socio-economic status, educational attainment and geographic location. Learn more.

Medicaid reimbursement rates in Illinois are the fourth lowest in the nation for children, and last in the nation for adults. Low reimbursement drives down provider participation in Medicaid and shortages of oral health professionals are growing in many rural areas in the state. Learn more.