pregnancy new

February 4, 2012

Most pregnant women in America don’t see their dentists for important oral health care nearly as often as recommended, which can cause ongoing health problems for both mother and her baby.

In fact, fully a quarter of pregnant women didn’t see the dentist at all during pregnancy and 38 percent visited the dentist just once.¹

According to the American Academy of Periodontology, about 50 percent of women get “pregnancy gingivitis,” a disease that makes the gums sore and swollen.

Dentists can identify gum and teeth problems during a routine checkup. Besides brushing, flossing and chewing sugar-free gum, women should get a thorough dental exam if they are planning to become pregnant. They also should get their teeth cleaned professionally every three months once they are expecting.

Delta Dental of Wisconsin's Evidence-Based Integrated Care Plan (EBICP) offers an additional cleaning for women who are pregnant. Click the link below to find out if your group plan includes EBICP and to sign up for these important additional benefits.

[1] Morpace Inc. conducted the 2009 “Children’s Oral Health Survey.” Random 15-minute telephone interviews were conducted nationally with 914 primary caregivers of children from birth to age 11. Respondents with multiple children were asked to think about their youngest child when answering questions.

EBICP benefits for women who are pregnant

With an indicator of pregnancy, a participant is eligible for one additional dental visit for adult prophylaxis or periodontal maintenance during the pregnancy. Coverage will be at the group-contracted benefit level, with the additional frequency allowance being the only change. There is no age requirement and the patient may be the subscriber, spouse or other covered dependent.

Read our white paper to learn more about pregnancy and oral health.