BY CATHY HALL for WEEKLY VOLCANO 10/3/25 |
If you are insured by Washington’s Apple Health, you have coverage for both!
Pregnancy takes a toll on a woman’s body: fatigue, bones that move and adjust, back pain, swollen feet and ankles. An expectant mother needs special care to ensure that both she and her baby stay in the best possible health. Oral health is a big part of prenatal care, too. Poor oral health during pregnancy can lead to poor health outcomes for both mother and child.
If you think you are pregnant, you should seek care right away so that your obstetrician can monitor your health—but you should also see your dentist. Oral health during pregnancy and infancy is especially important to set children up for a lifetime of good health.
About 60 to 70 percent of pregnant people have gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease. Gingivitis causes gums to become red and swollen from inflammation that may be aggravated by changing hormones during pregnancy. If gingivitis is not treated, it affects the bone that supports the teeth and could cause loose teeth or even tooth loss.
Pregnant people may also be at risk for cavities due to changes in eating and other health habits. Cavity-causing bacteria in a mother’s mouth during and right after pregnancy can transfer to the baby. Early contact with these bacteria and other sugars, through behaviors such as taking a bottle to bed, can lead to early childhood cavities and the need for extensive dental care at a young age.
Community Health Care offers Maternity Support Services (MSS) to pregnant people on Apple Health. MSS provides a wealth of services, such as connecting families with needed medical and community resources, parenting support, education (learning how to make healthy choices for the family and the new baby), and behavioral health counseling. Obstetricians on staff monitor pregnancy and deliver babies when the time comes. Community Health Care also operates five full-service dental clinics. If you are on Apple Health (Medicaid), you are covered for dental services during your pregnancy and up to one year after your baby is born. Your MSS case worker can assist you with making dental appointments.
Community Health Care also offers free pregnancy tests and walk-in emergency dental care, serving everyone, with or without insurance.
Now you know what dental care and pregnancy have in common: good prenatal care, both medical and dental, helps put you on the right track toward a healthy baby. Call Community Health Care for an appointment at (253) 722-2161, or visit www.commhealth.org
