Spotlighting the importance of oral healthcare for expectant mothers, the California Dental Association (CDA) Foundation has released new guidelines designed to emphasize the safety of dental treatment during pregnancy and ensure women receive the services they need.
The guidelines were developed by a panel of dental and medical professionals who met in 2009 to review scientific literature and new research on the treatment of oral diseases and pregnancy outcomes. The CDA Foundation undertook the project in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX, to expand dental services to pregnant women and address misconceptions about the importance and safety of oral health during the perinatal period.
"Despite the multiple benefits of dental care for mothers and their babies, many women have nagging concerns about its safety during pregnancy," said Lindsey Robinson, D.D.S., chair of the CDA Foundation board. "We hope these guidelines put to rest some of those worries and make dental treatment a recognized staple of prenatal care."
The bacteria that cause dental caries are transmitted from mothers or other primary caregivers to the child through behaviors in which saliva is shared. Control of dental disease before and during pregnancy not only protects a woman's health, but also reduces the transmission rate of the pathogenic bacteria from mother to child. But for various reasons, many women do not seek, and often are not advised to seek, dental treatment as part of their overall prenatal care.
Studies have shown that some prenatal care providers do not have an adequate understanding of the consequences that poor oral health has on the mother and child, and that dentists needlessly withhold care because of an unfounded fear of litigation. As a result, critical care may be delayed during the perinatal period, even though pregnancy marks the only time some lower-income women are eligible for dental benefits.
Despite misperceptions about oral healthcare during pregnancy, the panel concluded that timely diagnosis and treatment of dental disease -- including radiographs, periodontal care, and the use of local anesthesia -- are highly beneficial and far outweigh the known risks of not obtaining care.
Specifically, studies show no link between first-trimester dental procedures and early spontaneous abortion -- one common complication of pregnancy. And preeclampsia, another condition that confronts some pregnant women, is not a contraindication for dental care, the panel said.
Dr. Robinson and other CDA Foundation leaders hope the guidelines will persuade prenatal specialists to fully integrate dental services into the overall package of care they recommend.
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