Quick Facts on UCare Tooth Care

UCare Tooth Care is a dental office on wheels:

37-foot recreational vehicle, fully equipped with state-of-the-art dental equipment, including three dental chairs and a laboratory
Staffed by University of Minnesota School of Dentistry faculty and supervised students
Provides preventive dental care (cleanings and checkups) and can serve 15-20 people a day
Operational on most weekdays, visiting 15 sites in the metro, central, and near southern counties on a monthly basis
Serves approximately 1,000 members each year with close to 5,000 dental procedures

UCare and the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry partnered to develop a way to begin addressing the problem.
UCare saw a growing problem of limited access to dental care for state public program members. A primary reason for this is the shortage of dentists:

In Minnesota, more than half of the state's dentists will retire in the next 15 years, and not enough students are graduating from dental school to balance the numbers (in 2000, only 79 students graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry).
Minnesota's dentist-to-population ratio has declined over the past decade. Between 1991 and 1998, the population grew 7%, while the number of dentists declined 9%, resulting in a 14% decline in dentists per capita — slightly more than the 12% decline nationally.

UCare and the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry partnered to develop a way to begin addressing the problem.
UCare Tooth Care was launched on August 6, 2002, initially serving patients in the Twin Cities metro area. In February 2003, it began moving out into greater Minnesota.

UCare's public health care program members throughout Minnesota people enrolled in programs such as MinnesotaCare, Prepaid Medical Assistance Program, and Prepaid General Assistance Medical Care).
Members of UCare for Seniors Classic plan and UCare Secure.
Additionally, UCare Tooth Care had a role in UCare's and the School of Dentistry's participation in national Give Kids A Smile Day (Feb. 21, 2003), an initiative of the American Dental Association supported by the Minnesota Dental Association. UCare Tooth Care spent the day at Sabathani Community Center, where children identified by the center's Way To Grow program as being at need were served free of charge.

UCare — the only health plan in Minnesota with a mobile dental unit. UCare purchased and equipped the recreational vehicle and handles member communications.
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry — the state's only dental school. Faculty, staff, and students staff the unit, providing primarily preventive and limited restorative dental care, as well as referrals for follow-up visits.
Doral Dental Services — UCare's dental services provider. Doral will assist with referrals when additional services are necessary.
Itasca Corporation — handles administrative duties (billing, scheduling, driving, maintenance).
Counties, community agencies, and clinics — provide parking space for UCare Tooth Care and waiting areas for patients.