New OHRC Resources on Oral Health Care During Pregnancy

September 12th, 2012 11:21am - Posted By: Mitsuko Ikeda

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) at Georgetown University and the American Dental Association are pleased to announce the availability of two new resources to help professionals working in states and communities plan, develop, and implement programs to help ensure that pregnant women receive optimal oral health services. We know that preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dental treatment is safe throughout pregnancy and is effective in improving and maintaining oral health. Health professionals can play an important role in providing pregnant women with appropriate and timely oral health care, which includes oral health education.

Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement–Summary of an Expert Workgroup Meeting summarizes a meeting held on October 18, 2011, in Washington, DC, convened by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Dental Association. The document provides guidance on oral health care for pregnant women for both prenatal care health professionals and oral health professionals, pharmacological considerations for pregnant women, and guidance for health professionals to share with pregnant women. The document and information on how to order single or multiple print copies is available http://www.mchoralhealth.org/materials/consensus_statement.html.

Implementing the guidance in the consensus statement will help to foster change by improving health professionals’ awareness of the importance of oral health during pregnancy and their understanding that it is safe to provide oral health care to pregnant women; in turn, the oral health of pregnant women and, ultimately, of their children, will improve. Implementation resources including an announcement, a handout for pregnant women, talking points, a presentation, cover image, and web badges are also available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/materials/consensus_statement.html.

Improving the Oral Health of Pregnant Women and Young Children: Opportunities for Policymakers explores the evidence base for perinatal oral health care, the use of oral health care services, liability, and policy options for improving access to and coverage of oral heath services. The issue brief was developed by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Policy Center in collaboration with the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, March of Dimes, and the Washington Dental Service Foundation. The brief is available at http://nmcohpc.net/2012/improving-oral-health-pregnant-women.

The resources were developed with support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, HRSA.

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