Oral health during pregnancy and early childhood: barriers to care and how to address them.

Abstract This brief supplements recommendations developed by the California Dental Association Foundation and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that recommended practice guidelines during the perinatal period. This brief addresses the importance and safety of oral health care during pregnancy and outlines some of the multiple system-level barriers that make it difficult for many women to access oral health services, as well as offers specific strategies for mitigating these barriers.