Lay summary
Oral health is an important part of general health but is often overlooked. During pregnancy, maternal oral health is affected, yet there is a lack of free dental care at this time. This poor oral health then impacts on pregnancy outcomes such as increased rates of preterm birth, which are known to be higher in Māori (who also have poorer oral health). Enrolment rates, particularly for Māori and Pasifika children in the community oral health programme are also poor, leading to poor health outcomes for them and inter-generationally.
This work will bring together a group of oral health experts, obstetricians, midwifes, epidemiologists, and public health experts to develop an interventional study that will begin with dental care in pregnancy, to investigate the effects on pregnancy outcomes. It will then continue to ensure the children are accessing dental care with a plan to assess early childhood outcomes.