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 increase 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,” said Dr. Simona Surdu, project director at the Center for Health Workforce Studies. “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.”
Learn more about UAlbany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies and the Oral Health Workforce Research Center.
About the Center for Health Workforce Studies
Established in 1996, CHWS is an academic research organization based at the College of Integrated Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York. The mission of CHWS is to produce timely, accurate information and conduct policy-relevant research about the health workforce. The research conducted by CHWSsupports and promotes health workforce planning and policymaking at local, regional, state, and national levels. Today, CHWS operates two of nine federally funded health workforce research centers in the U.S. and is a national leader in the field of health workforce studies.
The Oral Health Workforce Research Center is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $450,000, with 0% financed by non-governmental sources. The contents of this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
