EFP launches a European awareness campaign on oral health and pregnancy

Pregnant women experience hormonal changes that often trigger alterations of their oral health such as pregnancy gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease which is linked to an increased risk of various pregnancy complications, including low birth weight, preterm birth, and pre-eclampsia. With the aims of helping tackle the widespread problem of pregnancy gingivitis and of highlighting the importance of oral health during pregnancy, the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) - in collaboration with Oral-B - is launching the ‘Oral Health and Pregnancy’ project, a Europe-wide awareness campaign which brings advice based on the latest scientific evidence to health professionals and women across Europe.

The core element of the Oral Health and Pregnancy initiative is a newly-created dedicated web portal, oralhealthandpregnancy.efp.org, which contains a wealth of information: scientific reports, guidelines for oral- and general-health professionals, brochures, practical recommendations for women, a bibliography, infographics, videos, news items, features, and other educational content. All this material - drawn up by some of the world’s leading experts in periodontal science - is publicly accessible and can be downloaded from the website.