Despite the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) longstanding advocacy for routine dental care before and during pregnancy, there’s still a significant disconnect between the awareness and implementation of these recommendations in clinical practice. This gap in care can lead to suboptimal perinatal outcomes and overlooked oral health needs in pregnant patients.

Carolina Family Health Centers, Inc. has provided medical and dental care for patients in three North Carolina counties for years. But during that time, the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) was having trouble accessing a specific part of the population that needed oral health care — children. 

By Andrea Clark, MS, Director, Health Care Economics, and Renee Clark, Care Coordination & Interoperability Manager

The health care system in the United States is unique in many often-cited ways. It does not provide universal coverage, mixes publicly and privately funded insurances, and spends more on care per person than any other wealthy country.