PROTECT APPLE HEALTH DENTAL PROGRAMS

Everyone in Washington Deserves Good Oral Health

Lawmakers in Washington already made cuts to the adult and children’s dental programs in 2025 – further cuts to Apple Health dental programs would be disastrous for Washington’s lower income kids, families, lower wage workers, and senior citizens on fixed incomes.

5 Reasons to Protect the Apple Health Dental Program

1. Kids in Washington suffer some of the highest rates of untreated tooth decay and cavities – further cuts would make the situation worse.
2. Poor oral health impacts school attendance, employment opportunity, self-esteem, and quality of life.
3. Children and adults who lose dental access are often forced to defer care, skip critical preventive visits, or end up in expensive hospital emergency departments.
4. Deferred care and untreated oral disease lead to minor dental issues becoming more serious and expensive problems.
5. Reducing investments in the Apple Health dental programs means more people will wind up in hospital emergency rooms – where care is more expensive.