Preventive oral care during pregnancy can reduce risks of complications

For pregnant women in the U.S., the use of oral health services during pregnancy remains low, with fewer than 40% seeking preventive oral health care. So reports a new study conducted by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center, part of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany's College of Integrated Health Sciences, which was featured on the cover of this month's issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

UAlbany researchers analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a longstanding data repository maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2016 and 2020. Disparities in gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders were highlighted, with higher odds of these pregnancy complications among lower-income and minority women. 

Lack of regular preventive oral health care and delaying dental treatment during pregnancy increases the risk of developing dental diseases such as periodontal disease, which is potentially associated with gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders.

The research team found that pregnant women who received preventive oral health care or visited a dentist or a dental clinic for oral health problems during pregnancy did in fact have a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders.

Our findings reinforce the connection between oral health and overall health. Integrating oral health education and services into maternal health care and expanding the oral health workforce through training, better distribution and interprofessional collaboration with prenatal care providers can improve access to oral health services for pregnant women - especially in underserved populations - and help reduce the risks of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders." 

Dr. Simona Surdu, project director at the Center for Health Workforce Studies