Improving access to dental care among pregnant patients

Can an intervention involving the immediate scheduling of an appointment improve the uptake of dental care during pregnancy?

In a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers referred more than 400 pregnant individuals who attended oral health screenings between 2018 and 2020 to receive prenatal dental care using one of two interventions: an immediate-scheduling option in which patients received appointments at the time of screening or a patient navigator option in which patients met for 12 months with a navigator who helped to educate them, provide reminders and address barriers to care. They noted that a majority of the participants resided in low-income urban areas and were insured by Medicaid.

The researchers found that the participants were nearly five times more likely to adhere to dental care if they were immediately scheduled follow-up dental appointments compared with those who did not receive scheduled appointments. Patients assigned to a patient navigator were also more likely to use dental care than those not assigned. However, scheduling a follow-up appointment was more effective than employing a patient navigator, according to the study.

Read more: Medscape

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