Expanding Access to Oral Care for Moms and Birthing People Across Georgia
Abstract
Birth givers are susceptible to oral health issues that place their own health and the health of their pregnancy at risk. Physiologic and behavioral changes in pregnancy lead to pathologies like periodontal disease and tooth decay, while also contributing to poor birthing outcomes. Poor access to OBGYN and oral healthcare exacerbates maternal oral health disparities which are related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, a critical issue for Georgia given the state’s maternal mortality crisis, especially among Black birth givers. Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia’s PCORI funded project, “Expanding Access to Oral Care for Moms and Birthing People Across Georgia,” engaged birth givers and maternal and dental health providers in Georgia, as well as experts in the field across the country via focus groups and in-depth interviews. The project aimed to understand patient experiences seeking dental care during pregnancy and the factors contributing to poor maternal oral health. We found that a gap in oral health literacy, absence of provider-led oral health education, and accessibility issues are major contributors to poor maternal oral health. Barriers to care such as limited Medicaid-accepting providers and competing needs in terms of housing, transportation, employment, and childcare also increase challenges in seeking dental care during pregnancy. Recommendations to improve outcomes include the integration of oral health education into doula certification programs, the incorporation of oral health screenings and education into general perinatal care, and sponsorship of statewide oral health programs. By engaging patients and providers at the state-level, we identified initiatives to improve the state of perinatal oral healthcare and general health outcomes in Georgia. Future projects that continue engaging various stakeholders and develop a collaborative plan to address these disparities can result in better infant and maternal health outcomes.
Keywords
Maternal Health, Oral Health Outcomes, Barriers to Care
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Expanding Access to Oral Care for Moms and Birthing People Across Georgia
Birth givers are susceptible to oral health issues that place their own health and the health of their pregnancy at risk. Physiologic and behavioral changes in pregnancy lead to pathologies like periodontal disease and tooth decay, while also contributing to poor birthing outcomes. Poor access to OBGYN and oral healthcare exacerbates maternal oral health disparities which are related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, a critical issue for Georgia given the state’s maternal mortality crisis, especially among Black birth givers. Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia’s PCORI funded project, “Expanding Access to Oral Care for Moms and Birthing People Across Georgia,” engaged birth givers and maternal and dental health providers in Georgia, as well as experts in the field across the country via focus groups and in-depth interviews. The project aimed to understand patient experiences seeking dental care during pregnancy and the factors contributing to poor maternal oral health. We found that a gap in oral health literacy, absence of provider-led oral health education, and accessibility issues are major contributors to poor maternal oral health. Barriers to care such as limited Medicaid-accepting providers and competing needs in terms of housing, transportation, employment, and childcare also increase challenges in seeking dental care during pregnancy. Recommendations to improve outcomes include the integration of oral health education into doula certification programs, the incorporation of oral health screenings and education into general perinatal care, and sponsorship of statewide oral health programs. By engaging patients and providers at the state-level, we identified initiatives to improve the state of perinatal oral healthcare and general health outcomes in Georgia. Future projects that continue engaging various stakeholders and develop a collaborative plan to address these disparities can result in better infant and maternal health outcomes.
