MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2023;48(6):320-325. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000957.
Oral health is an important aspect of overall health and should be maintained during pregnancy. Due to complex physiological changes during pregnancy, the pregnant woman is at risk for developing periodontal disease and dental caries which are associated with poor birth outcomes including preterm births and low birthweight infants. Evidence-based guidelines developed by several professional organizations recommend oral screening be included in the first prenatal visit. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a dental screening tool during prenatal care to identify pregnant patients with oral health needs and provide subsequent referrals to a dentist.
The project was implemented over a 14-week period and included an oral health screening using a valid and reliable tool to identify oral health needs. Patients were screened and received a referral for dental care.
N = 826 pregnant women were screened. Of those screened 36.3% (n = 300) had not had their teeth cleaned in the past 12 months. More than 30% of pregnant patients (n = 316) reported some type of dental problem, 29.5% (n = 244) were screened during the first prenatal visit, and 36.7% (n = 303) were enrolled in Medicaid. At project completion, 74.6% (n = 616) of patients received dental referrals.
Conducting oral health screenings during the first prenatal visit is important for identifying pregnant women at risk for oral health problems and improving birth outcomes and allows the patient time to visit the dentist prior to birth. Integration of an oral health screening and referral process can be successfully implemented during prenatal care to meet the needs of childbearing women.
口腔健康是整体健康的重要方面，应在怀孕期间保持。由于怀孕期间复杂的生理变化，孕妇患牙周病和龋齿的风险增加，而这些疾病与不良的分娩结果有关，包括早产和低出生体重婴儿。几个专业组织制定的循证指南建议在首次产前检查中纳入口腔筛查。本质量改进项目的目的是在产前护理中实施牙科筛查工具，以确定有口腔健康需求的孕妇，并随后将其转介给牙医。
该项目在 14 周内实施，包括使用有效且可靠的工具进行口腔健康筛查，以确定口腔健康需求。对患者进行筛查并转介接受牙科护理。
共筛查了 826 名孕妇。在接受筛查的人群中，36.3%（n=300）在过去 12 个月内没有进行过牙齿清洁。超过 30%的孕妇（n=316）报告存在某种类型的牙科问题，29.5%（n=244）在首次产前检查期间接受了筛查，36.7%（n=303）参加了医疗补助计划。项目完成时，74.6%（n=616）的患者获得了牙科转介。
在首次产前检查中进行口腔健康筛查对于识别有口腔健康问题风险的孕妇并改善分娩结果非常重要，并且可以让患者在分娩前有时间去看牙医。在产前护理中整合口腔健康筛查和转介流程，可以成功满足育龄妇女的需求。
