Hands OnDelivering oral care to pregnant women
Section snippets
Background
Pregnancy is the ideal time to talk with a woman regarding the primary prevention of oral diseases in her children. Mothers-to-be are interested in the link between their health and that of their children. It's important that they understand that maternal untreated caries and a high level of salivary cariogenic bacteria can increase the odds that their children will develop childhood caries. In addition, what children eat and how they practice dental hygiene will be dictated by their parents'
Interventions
The interventions dental care professionals make during pregnancy can be either individually delivered or available through changes in systems, such as oral health practice guidelines, interprofessional collaborative practices, and dental finance systems.
Individual interventions
High proportions of reproductive-age adults have dental caries, with increased rates among adults of racial and ethnic minorities relative to majority populations. Changes in diet and oral hygiene practices along with morning sickness or esophageal reflux during pregnancy can produce tooth demineralization and increased maternal caries risk if no interventions are instituted. Often cariogenic microorganisms are transmitted from intimate caregivers to children, with the most significant
System Interventions
A multifaceted, collaborative approach to prenatal oral health interventions is key to leveraging the resources in health care systems. This makes enabling services available for oral health; improves patient centeredness, quality, safety, and outcomes of interventions; and makes a sustainable impact on the oral health of both mothers and their children. An initiative has been launched to demonstrate the replicable, high-quality integration of oral health care into perinatal and infant primary
Conclusions
Oral health is influenced by the physiologic and psychosocial attributes and cumulative oral health experiences of each individual. Pregnant women are at a critical time with respect to oral health because their health has an influence on their children's health. There remain gaps in the availability of resources and the knowledge base needed to care for mothers and infants. Individual dentists and communities need to collaborate to provide the elements needed to manage these situations.
References (0)
Cited by (0)
Iida H: Oral health interventions during pregnancy. Dent Clin N Am 61:467-481, 2017
Reprints available from H Iida, New York State Oral Health Ctr of Excellence, 259 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14607, USA; e-mail: [email protected]
© 2017 Published by Elsevier Inc