of women did not receive education about oral hygiene

while pregnant from a dentist

or health professional.

THE IMPORTANCE OF

ACCORDING TO 2013 SURVEY DATA FROM THE PREGNANCY RISK ASSESSMENT MONITORING SYSTEM (PRAMS) IN MAINE:

of women did not have their teeth cleaned

while pregnant

For many women, prenatal care providers are the most frequently accessed health care professionals, creating an opportunity for

education about the importance of dental care.

Before the First Tooth, Maine’s Perinatal Infant and Oral Health Quality Improvement Initiative, can assist your practice to adopt best practice approaches to integrating oral health into prenatal care.

Through a pilot project, medical practices providing perinatal services test changes and improve clinical processes to increase access to dental care for women and children most in need.

Before the First Tooth assists practice staff in educating women and their families about good oral health practices and provides resources to improve referrals to dentists.

For more information about our program and how we can help your practice increase access to dental care for your pregnant patients please contact Gina McKenney at gmckenney@mainehealth.org or call 661-7560.

This project was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), grant number: H47MC28898. Information, content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be constructed as official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Dental treatment during pregnancy is both safe and effective.

According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist’s Committee Opinion on Oral Health Care during Pregnancy, oral health is key to overall health and well-being and should be maintained during pregnancy and throughout a woman’s life.

Preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental treatment during pregnant is both safe and effective in improving oral health.

Many dentists are unwilling to treat pregnant patients. 60% of Maine dentists surveyed said that elective treatment should be delayed until after pregnancy and 84% identified various restrictions on dental treatment during pregnancy.

Educating pregnant women and caregivers of infants about preventing and treating dental caries is critical.Evidence suggests that most infants acquire caries-causing bacteria from their mothers. Providing pregnant women with counseling on healthy oral health behaviors may reduce this risk.