Refer to dental home if untreated oral health disease.
Although child health professionals may not be used to assessing maternal health issues, they routinely take a health history when assessing medical conditions that are heritable or transmissible. Because cariogenic bacteria can be transmitted from primary caregiver to child, an oral health history provides an opportunity for the child health professional to better understand a child’s risk for early colonization and also provides an opportunity to educate the caregiver about caries prevention.
A mother’s/caregiver’s oral assessment does not need to involve a physical examination, but can be done by asking key questions
How are your teeth?
Have you had a lot of cavities?
Do you have a regular dentist?
When was your last visit to the dentist?
Have you ever had a tooth filled?
Have you had a lot of dental work done?
Mothers/primary caregivers should be referred to a dental home if oral health problems are identified, because active dental disease significantly increases the transmission and early colonization of cariogenic bacteria in the child.
