HJAR Jan/Feb 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2024 37 Jennifer Dillaha, MD Director Arkansas Department of Health hormonal changes and physiological factors common in pregnancy such as nausea and vomiting. InArkansas, only 40% of pregnant women received a teeth cleaning during their most recent pregnancy, even though over 80% of pregnant women understand the importance of taking care of their teeth during pregnancy. As with many health statistics, there are likely many contributing factors leading to this startling gap in the receipt of oral health services. Some women may be unaware of special dental benefit eligibility through Medicaid when they become pregnant, and some dentists and physicians may feel apprehensive about the safety of dental care during pregnancy. To dispel this provider apprehension, the NMCOHRC collaborated with theAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Dental Association to publish a national consensus statement on oral healthcare during pregnancy in 2012. In the statement, they encourage both prenatal care health professionals and oral health professionals to reassure pregnant women of the safety of receiving oral healthcare, to include x-rays, pain medication, and local anesthesia, throughout pregnancy. If Arkansas women are encouraged and supported in seeking oral healthcare dur- ing pregnancy, it can go a long way toward reducing the bacterial load in the oral cav- ity that could otherwise be transmitted to children, which would start them off with a steeper hill to climb toward lifelong oral health. I encourage prenatal care health pro- fessionals to explore resources to educate patients on oral health so that, together with our dental colleagues, we may promote life- long oral health for all Arkansans. n REFERENCES 1 Pussinen, P.J.; Paju, S.; Koponen, J.; et al. “Association of Childhood Oral Infections With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Adulthood.” JAMA Network Open, April 26, 2019. doi: 10.1001/ jamanetworkopen.2019.2523 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Children’s Oral Heatlh.” Last Reviewed April 6, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/ childrens-oral-health/index.html 3 Krol, D.M. and Whelan, K. “Maintaining and Improving the Oral Health of Young Children.” Pediatrics 151, issue 1 (January 2023). https://doi. org/10.1542/peds.2022-060417 4 Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. “Oreal Health in Arkansas.” Accessed November 2023. https://achi.net/oralhealth/ 5 National Maternal and Child Oral Health Re- source Center. “Oral Health Care During Preg- nancy: A National Consensus Statement.” 2012. https://www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/Oral- HealthPregnancyConsensus.pdf 6 American Academy of Pediatrics. “American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Recommenda- tions on Maintaining, Improving Children’s Oral Health.” News Release, Dec. 19, 2022. https:// www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/ aap/2022/american-academy-of-pediatrics- updates-recommendations-on-maintaining-im- proving-childrens-oral-health/ 7 America’s Pediatric Dentists. “Parent Resources.” Accessed November 2023. https://www.aapd. org/resources/parent/ 8 Krol, D. and Whelan, K. “Good Oral Health Starts Early: AAP Policy Explained.” Healthy- Children.org. Last updated Dec. 19, 2022. https:// healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/ oral-health/Pages/Brushing-Up-on-Oral-Health- Never-Too-Early-to-Start.aspx and lower prevalence of protective dental sealants. Furthermore, those living in the southwestern part of the state had the high- est prevalence of both tooth decay and un- treated tooth decay. There are several risk factors for oral disease. For children, some risk factors for cavities are based on what they consume each day. Sugary drinks, candy, and sugary foods significantly increase the risk of developing cavities. Also, CDC says predictors for a higher chance of childhood cavities are special healthcare needs and wearing orthodontics or other oral applications. Focusing on oral disease prevention in children through activities like education and dental sealant placement is worthwhile and is a pillar of the ADH Office of Oral Health program. However, there is evidence to suggest that upstream interventions that focus on maternal oral health may hold even more promise of positive impact on Arkansas children’s oral health. According to the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (NMCOHRC), most infants and children acquire oral-disease-causing bacteria from their mothers — the result of transmission of oral microbes frommother to child can take place through activities like pre-chewing food, sharing utensils, and kissing. The NMCOHRC points out that pregnant women have a higher oral health risk due to