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Maternal and Child Health Access began working on expanding access to dental care for pregnant women in 2001, based on the growing evidence of a link between periodontal disease, low birthweight and premature birth and given the limitations of benefits for women with “pregnancy-related” Medi-Cal only.
In July of 2009 most dental benefits for adults on Medi-Cal were eliminated, however, certain benefits for pregnant women remain available. Click Here to see the provider bulletin on available benefits (note page 7 has billing codes for pregnant women). Click Here for a FAQs sheet on adult dental benefits.
New guidelines for care during pregnancy have been released: “Oral Health During Pregnancy and Early Childhood: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Health Professionals”. This significant body of work represents the outcome of a 2-day consensus conference held in Sacramento on February 20 - 21, 2009 in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX. A companion policy brief will be posted on the CDA Foundation web site to accompany the Guidelines.
For more information:
Brochures and materials for oral health in pregnancy:
• National Maternal and Child Health Oral Health Resource Center, “Two Healthy Smiles” - English
• National Maternal and Child Health Oral Health Resource Center, “Dos Sonrisas Saludables” - Spanish
 Links to Information About the State Benefit for pregnancy and postpartum women
Links and Articles About Pregnancy and Oral Health
Links to Scientific Journal Articles or Abstracts About Pregnancy and Oral Health
Contact: Lynn Kersey lynnk@mchaccess.org, Celia Valdez celiav@mchaccess.org, Liz Ramirez lizr@mchaccess.org, or Donald Nollar donaldn@mchaccess.org
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