Roughly 5% of the children who arrive at OHP suffer conditions that make it impossible for them to receive traditional clinic care. Severe decay, combined with young age, behavioral or physical concerns, can prevent children from tolerating or cooperating in a clinical setting. In this case, a child can benefit from hospital care where treatment is completed in a single visit under general anesthesia rather than through multiple clinic appointments.
Providing access to hospital care dental treatment helps keep children out of the emergency room and medical costs down for families.
Children in the hospital program are referred to our Hospital Coordinator by an OHP dentist after an exam and discussion on the best treatment plan. Only if it is deemed medically necessary by one of our dentists will a child be referred for the hospital program. When determined to be a good candidate for the program, children are put on a waitlist and are scheduled for a hospital appointment based on urgency and availability.
For services in the hospital, the child will need a preoperative physical with their pediatrician/family care doctor to be cleared to go under general anesthesia. All the treatment needed will be done in this single, including cleaning, fillings, crowns and/or extractions. *
All children seen in the hospital setting must have BadgerCare/Medical Assistance.
If you think your child might be a candidate for our hospital program, the first step is to contact OHP to set up an appointment. Let the dentist know all medical and/or behavioral concerns. After the exam, the dentist will discuss with you the best treatment plan options for your child.
* Space maintainers and tooth replacements will not be done in the hospital.
Hospital Post-Operative Instructions
After a procedure, your child might feel tired and sick. This is normal! If you have questions, check out our post-operative instructions. If you are concerned, please give us a call at 920.965.0831 so we can help!