A Successful Dental Care Referral Program for Low-Income Pregnant Women in New York

Abstract

Despite evidence-based guidelines that advocate for dental care during pregnancy, dental utilization among pregnant women remains low, especially among low-income and racial–ethnic minority women. We investigated self-reported dental care referral and self-reported dental care attendance among a group of 298 low-income, largely racial–ethnic minority pregnant women attending two suburban prenatal care clinics that had integrated dental care referrals into their prenatal care according to these guidelines. We administered a questionnaire that asked women: (1) whether they had been referred for care by their prenatal care provider; (2) whether they had been seen by a dentist during pregnancy. Among those women who were eligible for a dental care referral (those who reported having dental symptoms, and those not having a recent dental visit), we found that 73.0% reported that they had indeed been referred for dental care by their prenatal provider, while the remaining women reported either no referral (23.5%, n = 67) or were not sure whether they had been referred (3.5%, n = 10). Among those who reported a dental care referral, 67.3% (n = 140) reported that they saw a dentist during their pregnancy, while of those who reported no dental care referral only 35.1% (n = 27) reported a dental visit (Chi-Sq. = 24.1, df = 1, p < 0.001). Having received a dental referral was a significant predictor of reporting a dental visit during pregnancy, with women who received a referral being 4.6 times more likely to report a dental visit during pregnancy compared to those women who did not report a referral. These results demonstrate that vulnerable pregnant women referred for dental care by their prenatal provider will indeed seek and utilize dental care when offered. This dental referral program may serve as a model for improving the utilization of dental care among this population.

Exploring the experiences and perspectives of women on oral health during pregnancy: A qualitative study in Tasmania, Australia

“…There has been increased attention to encourage ANC providers in oral health promotion in various healthcare settings across Australia 31 and around the world, 35 with studies demonstrating such programmes are feasible and effective. 15,36,37 More pragmatic options for preventative dental care among Tasmanian pregnant women, such as through streamlined referral processes by ANC providers to local dentists and a trained, oral health-informed medical workforce, are recommended. The inclusion of tailored informational resources and medical-based apps are also suggested to support these clinical activities.…”

“…These patient‐level factors, in conjunction with the aforementioned provider‐level factors, suggest a significant barrier to accessing timely dental care for pregnant women. There has been increased attention to encourage ANC providers in oral health promotion in various healthcare settings across Australia 31 and around the world, 35 with studies demonstrating such programmes are feasible and effective 15,36,37 . More pragmatic options for preventative dental care among Tasmanian pregnant women, such as through streamlined referral processes by ANC providers to local dentists and a trained, oral health‐informed medical workforce, are recommended.…”

Cuidado odontológico: percepção das gestantes na Atenção Primária à Saúde

“…Esse estudo conclui: as mulheres que recebem orientações por parte dos profissionais responsáveis pelo acompanhamento pré-natal irão procurar e utilizar mais frequentemente os serviços odontológicos. 18 Em outra pesquisa, 67% dos ginecologistas relataram orientar suas pacientes a procurarem por atendimento odontológico durante o período gestacional. 19 Ainda, um estudo na Austrália demonstrou que o trabalho dos obstetras teve um baixo custo-benefício, pois, apesar de promoverem educação sobre saúde bucal, avaliação e referência para um serviço odontológico, a ação não foi capaz de melhorar a saúde bucal das gestantes.…”

Identification of Oral Health of Pregnant Women in Trimester I in Kupang City Health Center

“…Penelitian ini tidak sejalan dengan (Sahab et al, 2022) di Arab Saudi menjelaskan bahwa hasil analisis ada hubungan signifikan (OR 1,43, p=0,04) terdapat kesenjangan status sosial ekonomi pada pasien sehingga yang memiliki pendapatan rumah tangga yang sangat tinggi dapat melakukan kunjungan ke dokter gigi dibandingkan yang berpenghasilan rendah. Penelitian lain juga menyatakan perawatan gigi selama kehamilan masih rendah terutama bagi ibu hamil yang berpenghasilan rendah dan etnis minoritas, dari 73,0% dilaporkan telah diberikan rujukan bagi yang rentan untuk perawatan gigi dari bagian prenatal namun ada yang mengunjungi dokter gigi tetapi ada juga yang tidak menerima rujukan (Russell et al, 2021) Menurut (Deghatipour et al, 2019) menjelaskan bahwa kesehatan mulut selama masa kehamilan penting diperhatikan sehingga tidak mempengaruhi kesehatan janin. Kebersihan gigi yang buruk dapat menyebabkan berbagai penyakit gigi di dalam rongga mulut (Arora et al, 2014) Hasil penelitian (Applonia Leuobi, 2019) bahwa ibu hamil masih kurang dalam menjaga kebersihan gigi dan mulutnya.…”