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Yamhill Community Care integrates dental care into maternal medical home
Valley Women’s Health patients can now receive preventive dental care at OB visits
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McMINNVILLE, ORE. 16 MAY, 2019—Through a partnership with Capitol Dental Care and Valley Women’s Health, patients can now receive routine cleanings, X-rays and cancer screenings when receiving prenatal care. It’s all part of a collaboration forged by Yamhill Community Care (YCCO) to eliminate barriers to receiving dental care for its members.
“Pregnancy causes hormonal changes in a woman’s body that can increase the risk of gum disease and ultimately affect the health of a developing baby,” said Karen Hall, oral health integration manager at Capitol Dental Care. “That’s why it’s so important for pregnant women to receive dental care, and we are excited to be a part of this collaborative partnership.”
By integrating dental care into the maternal medical home, YCCO hopes to make it as seamless as possible for their members to get this important dental care while they are pregnant. It’s one less visit patients need to make during a flurry of prenatal medical appointments.
Capitol Dental Hygienist Sandra Busch sees patients at the Valley Women’s Health clinic one day a week. She does an initial oral assessment and then provides X-rays, cleanings and oral cancer screenings for the patient. If there is a need for something beyond the preventive care she provides, she helps the patient find a dental provider in the area and establish care.
“Some of my patients haven’t seen a dental provider in years, so it’s great that we can offer this needed service for them,” said Busch. “It gets them in a regular pattern of receiving dental care and it helps keep their babies healthy too.”
Once the mother delivers, Busch will help establish them with a regular dental office for ongoing care. However, patients can also continue to receive cleanings and X-rays at Valley Women’s Health even after the baby is born, if they wish. Since starting in January, Busch has already seen 27 patients who might not have otherwise received dental care while pregnant.
Yamhill Community Care hopes to continue integrating more services like dental care into the maternal medical home to make it easier to receive care, ultimately increasing the health of women and their babies. For more information on YCCO, visit www.yamhillcco.org or call (855) 722-8205.