Improving access to oral health care for pregnant women in Pennsylvania: strategies and recommendations

Optimal oral health care is an integral part of a healthy pregnancy and positive overall health outcomes. Studies on the impact of bad oral health show an association with cardiovascular, respiratory, and other complications. In Pennsylvania, access to oral health care for pregnant women is considered a significant public health challenge. The lack of state guidelines, lack of adequate perinatal oral health care coordination, and insufficient oral health education and dental provider preparedness impact the health of many women in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Oral Health Initiatives Project, a pilot database, is the result of a collaboration with the Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) aiming to identify oral health initiatives in the state and to increase awareness of important stakeholders’ characteristics for the development of future improvement endeavors. Findings indicate a shortage of oral health care resources for pregnant women and highlight the need for more comprehensive management of perinatal health care. In this essay, strategies and recommendations to develop state guidelines, increase partnerships, and integrate oral health needs assessments into the public health system are offered for the improvement of the state’s perinatal oral health care