LSU School of Dentistry

Expanded Dental Services for Pregnant Women

LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans’ School of Dentistry has been awarded a HRSA grant to promote awareness of the link between oral health during pregnancy and birth outcomes. The leading cause of death among newborns is pre-term low birth weight and one of the leading risk factors for low birth weight is periodontal disease in the mother. One study found that pregnant women with clinical evidence of periodontal disease are nearly eight times more likely to deliver low birth weight babies than healthy women. Recent statistics show that Louisiana ranks 49^th in its percentage of low birth weight babies and 46^th in infant mortality.

P.I. Karen Oertling, RDH, MPH, State Oral Health Director and Clinical Associate Professor of Dentistry, says that the goal of the program is to reduce the number of pregnant women in Louisiana with periodontal disease. Strategies include making OB-GYNs, dentists, expectant mothers, the general public, and community gatekeepers aware of a Medicaid program that provides dental benefits to pregnant women, encouraging physicians to refer their pregnant patients for dental care, and promoting the benefits of good oral health through educational materials, continuing education courses for medical and dental professionals and media. Partners include the March of Dimes, Partners for Healthy Babies, Great Expectations, WIC, Agenda for Children, the Louisiana Dental Association, as well as all of the Maternal and Child Health programs of the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

The program, called Expanded Dental Services for Pregnant Women, provides dental services for expectant mothers including oral examination, diagnostic x-rays, prophylaxis, gross debridement, scaling and root planing, extractions, and restorations for decayed teeth that compromise the gingival health of the mother. A referral form must be completed by the attending medical provider. Unisys Provider Relations at (800) 473-2783 or (225) 924-5040 or the LSU School of Dentistry Dental Medicaid Office at (504) 619-8589 have further information about the program.

The success of the Your Mouth-Your Baby’s Health campaign will be measured by the number of pregnant women who enroll in the dental Medicaid program as well as improved birth outcomes.

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