Why has CIGNA improved dental coverage for pregnant women?
According to Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat, award-winning dental researcher and dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, “Studies have shown that scaling and root planing may reduce the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women with periodontal disease. A report by the Journal of Periodontology found as much as an 87% reduction of premature births in women who were less than 35 weeks pregnant and who received SRP.” Research also indicates that pregnant women with chronic gum disease during the second trimester may be up to seven times more likely to give birth prematurely. According to CIGNA, data suggests that periodontal disease may be causing as many as 18% of preterm and low birthweight deliveries, or 135,000 U.S. births each year. In addition, recent research indicates that gum inflammation plays a possible role in the development of preeclampsia, a serious condition affecting approximately 5% of U.S. pregnancies. When a mother suffers from preeclampsia, the blood s
