Advocate for Expanding Children’s Access to Oral Health

Growing up in Arizona, Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, had originally set his sights on becoming a dentist after working in a dental office. Instead, he found himself drawn to the preventive nature of dental hygiene. Since earning his dental hygiene degree in 2002 at Milwaukee’s Marquette University, Crespin has become a dedicated advocate of his profession. The busy executive director of the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin recently hit the pause button long enough to share some of his perspectives.

1. How did your career interests evolve over the years? 

After working in clinical practice for about 4 years, I missed treating underserved patients in public health-based settings as I had in school. When I came across a job as a project manager at Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin, I was excited by the possibilities. 

I became increasingly interested in policy work and the impact it can have on access to care and improving health outcomes. So, I went back to school to get a Master of Public Health with an emphasis on policy and leadership. I’ve been at the alliance for more than 15 years, serving in a number of positions—most recently as executive director. 

2. What is the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin and what are your responsibilities? 

Created in 1994 in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin is a statewide organization focused on improving the health and well-being of all children in Wisconsin. We’re affiliated with Children’s Wisconsin, a stand-alone pediatric health system.  

The Alliance has six initiatives focusing on different aspects of children’s health: asthma, emergency care, injury prevention, grief and bereavement, medical home, and oral health. I oversee all aspects of these initiatives and support our 17-member team. My primary focus is to build networks and coalitions, fund development, and work on health policy. 

3. You were president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) from 2019 to 2020. What do you see as your most significant accomplishments during your tenure? 

During my year as president, we fostered a strong relationship with the United States Office of the Surgeon General. This became critical in the midst of a global pandemic. Leading the organization through the initial months of such an unknown time helped me grow tremendously as a leader.  

Appointing a task force to address issues related to the practice of dental hygiene during the pandemic was a highlight. Their work is still being used today. The leadership our organization showed in guiding hygienists through the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in tremendous membership engagement and growth.  

4. Your organization supports expanded work models in dentistry but has raised concerns about a bill that would enable expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDA) to scale teeth. Can you share your views on this? 

While we support expanding the workforce, we have raised concerns over the lack of education, continuing education, and licensure that would be required of EDFAs in the legislation. The proposed scope includes aspects that are not part of Commission on Dental Accreditation standards. And not enough educational hours are required to appropriately train an EFDA for all the procedures outlined in the proposed scope. 

5. What are your hopes for the future of dental hygiene in Wisconsin? 

My greatest passion right now is a project called the Wisconsin Medical Dental Integration project, designed to broaden the settings in which hygienists can practice without the supervision of dentist. A legislative change in 2017 allowed us to begin implementing this project focused in integrating dental hygienists into medical care teams. This enables us to reach significant numbers of children who visit their physicians but don’t see a dental provider annually.