In Arizona, a bill that would provide dental coverage to pregnant people enrolled in AHCCCS (Arizona’s Medicaid program), has been proposed again this year. A bill like this has been proposed at the Capitol every year for at least the last 15 years, but has yet to be passed, largely due to state budget politics. Arizona has attempted versions of a maternal dental coverage bill seven times since 2017, and, despite bipartisan support each time, most have died. The furthest any bill of this kind has advanced is an iteration from the 2018 session, which was passed in the Senate but later stalled and was removed from the budget. 

There are several reasons why this bill continues to be endorsed by health care advocates (including the Arizona Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) in nearly every legislative cycle. Dental care is safe throughout pregnancy, and the health benefits of dental care extend far beyond the tooth. Gum disease, such as gingivitis, is a noted risk factor for poor outcomes in pregnancy and beyond. 

During pregnancy, poor maternal dental health is associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, fetal growth restriction, and the life-threatening disease of high blood pressure in pregnancy called preeclampsia. These poor pregnancy outcomes require lengthy hospital stays, procedural deliveries and increased financial burden to our already stressed health care systems. Maternal dental health is also predictive of the dental health of their children, as infants acquire cavity-causing bacteria from their birthing parent. In a preventive sense, caring for the teeth of pregnant people supports the overall goal of having a healthy population. A healthy population means less money spent on health care, and we know that preventive dental care is relatively inexpensive compared with the costs of a medically complicated pregnancy. 

About half of all births in Arizona are funded by AHCCCS, so the state of Arizona already pays for the consequences of poor pregnancy outcomes, from complicated deliveries to NICU stays. Refusing to cover basic preventive dental care during pregnancy is costly, both for an individual who suffers the consequences and the taxpayers. Maternal dental health has been a bipartisan issue for years. It’s time for Arizona to finally approve coverage for dental care in pregnancy and pass HB2958. After all, improving outcomes for mothers and babies can start with something as simple as a (healthy) smile.

Anna Leah Eisner is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.