Pregnancy Guidelines

This consensus statement presents information resulting from an expert workgroup meeting held in 2011 convened by the Health Resources and Services Administration in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Dental Association. It contains guidance for prenatal care health professionals and oral health professionals, pharmacological considerations for pregnant women, and guidance for health professionals to share with pregnant women. The 2026 revised edition includes updates on dental amalgams, aspirin to prevent preeclampsia, and nitrous oxide.

• 2026 Edition
• Website

This report provides a description of perinatal oral health, including its significance and background, barriers to accessing oral health care for this population, and a strategic framework for improving perinatal oral health. It also includes guidelines and recommendations, research evidence, and state practice examples. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This report discusses the importance of integrating oral health care and mental health care into obstetrical care to improve the overall health of women during and after pregnancy. The report explains why poor oral health and mental health may be a particular problem for women during and after pregnancy, and how oral health and mental health are linked. The report also explains the role obstetricians can play in identifying oral health and mental health problems in pregnant and postpartum women.

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This report builds on state and national efforts to promote information, share best practices, and educate health professionals, including prenatal care health professionals, pediatric professionals, and oral health professionals for the benefit of patients, including pregnant women, children, and families receiving oral health care. The report introduces the issues, discusses trends, discusses national efforts and Massachusetts' efforts to address oral health among pregnant women and children, and provides information about the role of health professionals in improving oral health among pregnant women and children. Guidelines for prenatal care health professionals, pediatric professionals, and oral health professionals are included.

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This report presents key considerations for integrating oral health evaluation into prenatal care. Topics include completing an oral health evaluation, integrating oral health evaluation into the electronic medical record, integrating oral health evaluation into the prenatal care workflow, and strategies to increase primary care health professionals’ confidence in completing an oral health evaluation. The document also includes summaries of how prenatal clinics integrate oral health evaluation, as well as links to examples. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This report is part of a series that provides an overview of activities to promote oral health during pregnancy. This issue focuses on the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a surveillance project that collects population-based data on maternal and child health indicators. The issue describes the PRAMS questionnaire and PRAMS alternative questionnaires and features resources, including publications and data dashboards, that states have produced to share their PRAMS findings. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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These perinatal clinical care guidelines for the general population include guidelines for the first prenatal visit (6–12 weeks) and each subsequent prenatal visit (13–42 weeks). Topics include initial and interval history; psychosocial assessment; physical examinations; immunizations; laboratory evaluation and additional testing; oral health; genetic counseling, screening, and testing; general counseling, education, and discussion; and the postpartum visit.

• 2024 Guidelines
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This manual provides information on creating a diverse prenatal/ postpartum advisory board (PPAB) with the goal of improving the oral health and overall health of women with low incomes before, during, and after pregnancy, as well as of children from families with low incomes, in Maryland. The manual is divided into three sections: (1) processes/methods (describing the frameworks and processes underpinning the PPAB), (2) relationship-building for fostering relationships among members with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and (3) results showcasing end products from PPAB implementation.

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This clinical practice guideline provides information about the relationships between various care options and health outcomes in the management of pregnancy. Topics include approaches to care of pregnant women in the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense; recommendations, including for oral health care during pregnancy; routine pregnancy care; referral indications; emerging topics; and research priorities.

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This practice guidance provides information on oral health care during pregnancy for oral health professionals and prenatal care professionals in Maryland. It provides information about the oral health of pregnant women and their infants in the state, state statistics on oral health care utilization during pregnancy, clinical practice guidance, a visual guide of oral conditions that can occur during pregnancy, a pharmacological considerations chart, a sample dental referral form, and educational resources to share with pregnant women. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This practice guidance provides information on oral health care for pregnant women for prenatal care health professionals and oral health professionals in North Carolina, pharmacological considerations for pregnant women, and guidance for health professionals to share with pregnant women. Selected topics include assessing women’s oral health status, advising pregnant women about oral health care, working in collaboration with other health professionals, providing support services to pregnant women, improving health services in the community, and advising women about oral health care. The document was adapted from Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement.

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This resource guide includes tools and other resources that can be used to improve the oral health status of women of childbearing age, pregnant women, infants, and young children in Illinois. It provides an introduction and background and discusses health information for women of reproductive age and pregnant women; the role of health professionals in improving the oral health of pregnant women, infants, and young children; reasons for not prescribing opioids for women of reproductive age; and progress toward improving oral health in Illinois. State guidelines for policy and practice are included. [Partially funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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• Related Publications

This document provides guidance on oral health care during pregnancy for prenatal care health professionals and oral health professionals in Texas. Topics include myths vs. facts, guidance for health professionals, oral conditions during pregnancy, and oral health pharmacological considerations for pregnant women. It also includes resources for consumers, available in English and in Spanish, about good oral health during pregnancy and during infancy as well as a dental referral form for pregnant women. The document was adapted from Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

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• Program Website

This practice guidance for oral health professionals and prenatal care professionals in Virginia provides information about the oral health of pregnant women and their infants in the state, state statistics on oral health care utilization during pregnancy, a visual guide of oral conditions that can occur during pregnancy, a pharmacological considerations chart, a sample dental referral form, and educational resources to share with pregnant women. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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These practice guidelines provide information on the oral health care of pregnant women in South Carolina. They contain data on infant mortality and preterm birth, oral health care and counseling utilization, and key findings from the South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Systems (PRAMS) for 2012–2013. The guidelines also include recommendations for health professionals and for oral health professionals, referral forms for oral health care, and dentists’ reports for prenatal care professionals. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This guide offers health professionals an overview of preventive oral health supervision during five developmental periods: prenatal, infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. It is designed to help health professionals implement specific oral health guidelines during these periods. For each period, information about family preparation, risk assessment, interview questions, screening, examination, preventive procedures, anticipatory guidance, measurable outcomes, and referrals is discussed. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

• View Guide Online Or Download Complete Guide In .pdf

This guide provides information about reducing infant mortality and promoting perinatal oral health in Michigan. It discusses a statewide perinatal oral health initiative, an infant-mortality-reduction plan, the national and local landscapes, and transmission of cariogenic bacteria. It also includes guidance for perinatal care health professionals and oral health professionals, a visual guide for common oral health conditions, and referral resources to assist in facilitating oral health care for pregnant women.

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The series discusses efforts of federal agencies and national, state, and local organizations to launch programs, advance policy, and disseminate Oral Health During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement to ensure that both health professionals and pregnant women are aware of the importance and safety of receiving oral health care during pregnancy. A list of resources focused on promoting oral health during pregnancy and infancy is included. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

• Consensus Statement And List Of Updates

This paper presents information and recommendations for obstetricians, gynecologists, and others about oral health care during pregnancy and through the lifespan. Topics include general health, common oral health conditions during pregnancy, periodontal disease and pregnancy outcomes, oral health assessment and counseling during pregnancy, and access to oral health care. This paper was reaffirmed in 2025.

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• Shows Reaffirm Date

These guidelines are designed to help health professionals deliver oral health services to pregnant women and young children. Topics include the importance of oral health; maternal physiological considerations related to oral health; pregnancy, oral conditions, and oral health care; oral health and early childhood; access to care; and systems improvement and public policy changes. Sample forms and websites for parents are included as appendices. A policy brief is also available.

• Guidelines
• Policy Brief (see Page 655)

This brochure for pregnant women and families provides information about the importance of good oral health habits during pregnancy for women and their infant. It provides information about oral health coverage for women in Maryland, the safety of receiving oral health care while pregnant, and oral conditions that can occur during pregnancy. Tips about how to keep the mouth healthy during pregnancy are provided, and myths and facts about oral health during pregnancy are presented. The resource is available in English and in Spanish. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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