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According
to a study conducted by Aetna (NYSE:AET) and Columbia
University College of Dental Medicine, women who received
dental care before or during their pregnancy had a lower
risk of giving birth to a preterm or low birth weight
baby than pregnant women who didn't seek dental care
at all. The study, conducted between January 1, 2003
and September 30, 2006, reviewed medical and dental
insurance data for 29,000 pregnant women who each had
medical and dental coverage with Aetna to determine
if there was an association between dental treatment
and the likelihood of experiencing either birth outcome.
"Further
studies need to be done but our findings show that dental
treatment had a protective effect on adverse birth outcomes
in women who sought dental treatment," said David
A. Albert, DDS, MPH, Director, Division of Community
Health, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University.
When
comparing the group who did not receive any dental treatment
to the groups that received gum treatment and dental
cleaning, the study found:
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The preterm birth rate was 11.0 percent for those not
receiving dental treatment, and 6.4 percent for those
receiving treatment
-
The low birth weight rate was 5.4 percent for those
not receiving dental treatment and 3.6 percent or lower
among the groups receiving treatment
The
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies determined
that premature births, meaning babies born at less than
37 weeks of pregnancy, cost at least $26 billion a year
and represented 12.5 percent of births in the U.S. in
2005.
"The
results of this study send a strong message about the
importance of dental care for women who want to start
a family," said Dr. Mary Lee Conicella, DMD, FAGD,
National Director of Clinical Operations, Aetna Dental.
"We are seeing evidence that supports the role
of routine preventive dental care in helping to protect
the health of the newborn and the mother and contributing
to lower associated medical costs."
Aetna
provides educational information about the importance
of good oral health to women who are planning to become
pregnant, as identified in responses to its Health Risk
Assessment tool. Aetna also provides a dental/medical
integration (DMI) program to pregnant women and at-risk
members with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases who
have both Aetna dental and medical coverage. The program
is comprised of enhanced benefits, including an extra
cleaning, full coverage for certain periodontal services
and a variety of outreach methods to at-risk members
who are not currently seeking dental care. As a result
of various outreach methods during a two-year pilot
with 500,000 Aetna members, 63 percent of those at-risk
members who had not been to the dentist in 12 months
sought dental care.
"The
findings from this latest study we conducted continue
to show that members with certain conditions who are
engaged in seeking preventive care, such as regular
dental visits, can improve their overall health and
quality of life," said Alan Hirschberg, head of
Aetna Dental.
Aetna
Dental launched its DMI program last fall following
a published research analysis it conducted with Columbia
University College of Dental Medicine which found that
high-risk individuals that sought earlier dental care
lowered the risk or severity of their condition and
subsequently, lowered their overall medical costs.
About
Aetna Dental
Aetna
Dental is one of the nation's leading providers of integrated
and stand-alone dental products, serving more than 14
million dental members. Aetna Dental has also established
itself as a leader in the research and execution of
dental/medical integration programs. It launched its
own program in 2006, which includes enhanced benefits
and educational outreach to members to help them achieve
optimal health.
About
Aetna
Aetna
is one of the nation's leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 million
people with information and resources to help them make
better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna
offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed
health insurance products and related services, including
medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group
life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities
and health care management services for Medicaid plans.
Our customers include employer groups, individuals,
college students, part-time and hourly workers, health
plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans,
labor groups and expatriates. |
