Dental care is crucial for both maternal and child health, yet it is often overshadowed by numerous other health priorities during pregnancy. The absence of pain is not the absence of dental disease, and the consequences of neglecting oral health can be severe. For perinatal mothers, poor oral health has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, and in children, to poor developmental trajectories.1
The poignant case of Jessica, a 28-year-old first-time mother and a patient at our clinic, tragically underscores the dire consequences of overlooking dental health. Due to misconceptions about the safety of dental treatments during pregnancy, such as concerns around bacteria translocation and increased risk of infection, Jessica avoided dental care during the first trimester of her pregnancy. Only when faced with debilitating pain and swelling did she seek help. Unfortunately, her delayed action led to an advanced infection that escalated to septic shock, multiple organ failure, and ultimately spread to her brain. Despite being placed in an induced coma to sustain her pregnancy, Jessica passed away after her child was delivered via C-section. Jessica never got the chance to meet or hold her baby, leaving behind a child to grow up without a mother.
This tragedy could have been prevented with earlier dental intervention. Jessica’s story highlights the urgent need for mandatory referrals from OB/GYN to dental services at the first prenatal visit.
In light of Jessica’s story and similar other tragedies, I am advocating for the immediate implementation of mandatory dental referrals and establishing dental clearance as a standard of care for pregnant women within state-funded and private...