
Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD)
Haga clic aquí para ABCD en español
The King County Access to Baby and Child Dentistry program (ABCD) focuses on preventive and restorative dental care for Medicaid-eligible children, with an emphasis on "First Tooth, First Birthday, First Dental Exam" by a dentist or a doctor, as recommended by the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dentists have been specifically trained and certified on caring for young kids, preventing tooth decay early and educating parents about how to take good care of their children's teeth.
Program eligibility
- Do you have any children 5 years old or younger?
- Are they enrolled in Medicaid or do they have medical coupons / ProviderOne service card?
If you answered yes to all of the above questions then your child is eligible for the program and ABCD staff will make every effort to find the right dentist for you.
Program benefits
- Increased access to dental care throughout King County
- Increased number of dental services (i.e. 3 fluoride varnish applications per year, 2 Family Oral Hygiene Instruction consultations per year, etc.)
- Assistance in finding a dentist that will fit you location, timing, and language preferences
- Assistance in coordinating transportation to and from the dental office
- Assistance in coordinating interpreter services for the dental visit
Dental providers in King County (parts of Pierce and Snohomish counties included
- Pediatric dental providers for all of King County
Serving Apple Health (Medicaid/ProviderOne)
- Dental resource list
Printable list of dental clinics in King County that include Public Health dental clinics, community health dental clinics, and dental clinics connected to colleges for adults and pregnant women living in King County.
- Specialty dental resource list (oral surgeons)
- Adult Dental Coverage through Apple Health:
English | Spanish
- Orthodontists (braces) providers in King County
Program flyers in multiple languages
English, Chinese, Filipino, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese
Free streaming and DVD videos
Available in multiple languages, watch a preview of "The Well Child Checkup" and "Baby Teeth Are Important" and complete a form to order a free DVD copy including both videos in all languages.
About the ABCD program
In 1994, a group of concerned dentists, dental educators, public health agencies, the state dental association, and State Medicaid representatives came together to address the problem of the severe lack of dental access by Washington State's high-risk preschool children. The proposed solution was the development of the ABCD Program.
The first ABCD program opened for enrollment in Spokane, Washington in February 1995 as a collaborative effort between several partners in the public and private sectors. Its success has led other county dental societies and health districts in Washington to adopt the program, as well as prompted interest from other states.
The Seattle and King County ABCD program was part of the King County Health Action Plan's Kids Get Care (KGC) Program and the largest of 23 ABCD programs in Washington state. The KGC program's core mission was to ensure that children have access to early integrated preventive physical, oral and developmental health services through the attachment to a medical and dental home, which KGC defined as a source of continuous comprehensive care.
The Health Action Plan, the collaborative community entity that designed KGC, had over six years experience in developing and implementing public/private activities. Working in partnership with Public Health Seattle & King County, Washington Dental Service Foundation, the Washington Health Foundation, and over thirty other organizations, the Health Action Plan implemented collaborative policy development and pilot projects that focused on system change and improvement of worsening health trends affecting vulnerable populations within King County.
Carol A. Allen, ABCD Coordinator
ABCD@kingcounty.gov
- Community Health Access Program (CHAP)
CHAP is a free and confidential telephone assistance program serving King County residents by connecting them to health insurance, health care services and other resources.
Call us for help at 1-800-756-5437 or email us at: chap@kingcounty.gov
Link/share our site at www.kingcounty.gov/abcd