As the State of Connecticut works on balancing its budget, there are changes to the dental services that adult Medicaid patients can receive.  As an example, effective July 1st periodic oral exams and dental cleanings are now limited to once every year instead of every six months for healthy adults.  What does this mean?  Well, if you’ve been coming in every six months to have your teeth checked and cleaned, you’re probably going to have to wait longer between checkups.  It also means you should make an even bigger effort to make sure that you brush your teeth and floss regularly.

There are other things that are changing as well.  For example, you will only be able to replace your dentures every seven years instead of every five years.  There are also new limits to the types of fillings you can get and the number of dental x-rays you can have in a 12 month period.  These are also all good reasons to make sure that you take good care of your teeth, so you are less likely to need any of these services.  Don’t forget a healthy mouth is part of a health body.  People with certain medical conditions may be exempt from some of these limitations.  If you have any questions, please ask your dentist.