Improving Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Project

For the past 5 years, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the Children’s Dental Health Project have implemented the Improving Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Project, which sought to promote the oral health of pregnant women and children, and to increase public awareness of the importance of perinatal and infant oral health. The Project worked to improve educational outreach and access to oral health care for pregnant women and infants, and to increase awareness of the importance of perinatal and infant oral health among diverse stakeholders from the clinical, public health, and policy arenas, among others.  Primary activities included providing education to pregnant women and providers on the importance of accessing care during the perinatal period, promoting the AAPD age one visit and dental home policies, and developing nontraditional partnerships to promote oral health.