In 1994 a group of concerned dentists, dental educators, public health agencies, the state dental association, and State Medicaid representatives came together to address the problem of the severe lack of dental access by Washington State's high-risk preschool children. The proposed solution was the development of the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) Program.

ABCD focuses on preventive and restorative dental care for Medicaid-eligible children from birth to age six, with emphasis on enrollment by age one. It is based upon the premise that starting dental visits early will yield positive behaviors by both parents and children, thereby helping to control the caries process and reduce the need for costly future restorative work.

The first ABCD program opened for enrollment in Spokane, Washington in 1995 as a collaborative effort between several partners in the public and private sectors. Its success has led other county dental societies and health districts in Washington to adopt the program, as well as prompted interest from other states.

The ABCD Program has received recognition at both the state and national level.

• The ABCD Program was named a "best practice" by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in 2000.
• In 2003, ABCD won the "Heroes of Health Care" award for collaboration from the Washington Health Foundation.
• In 2004, the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) selected ABCD as one of their "best state practices."
In 2005, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation named the ABCD program as one of three innovative oral health models nationally.

• Oral Health America gave ABCD an "A" grade in its 2005 report titled "A for Effort".

ABCD is also being recognized as an effective program to address children's health disparities in a report by the Children's Defense Fund.

Thank you for your interest in this innovative approach to increasing access to care for young Medicaid-eligible children. We encourage you to read through the material and links provided. For further information on the ABCD Program, contact any of the parties listed in the contacts section

Download the two-page ABCD program overview

Watch the ABCD Video