Maternal and infant oral health benefits from mothers receiving prenatal total oral rehabilitation: a pilot prospective birth cohort study

This study aimed to evaluate the maternal and infant oral health benefits from mothers receiving prenatal total oral rehabilitation (PTOR) before childbirth. Building upon our previous investigation, in which 15 expectant mothers received PTOR before their third trimester, achieving a state of oral health free from disease prior to delivery, we conducted a follow-up study to monitor these mothers and their newborns until they reached 2 years of age. We assessed the impact of PTOR on maternal and infant oral health, the utilization of dental care during the postpartum/early-life period, and the carriage of oral cariogenic microorganisms among mothers and their infants. Control groups consisting of 11 children and 17 mothers who did not undergo PTOR were included for comparative analysis. PTOR demonstrated a sustained improvement in maternal oral health outcomes by the end of 2 years postpartum, evidenced by a reduction in the Plaque Index and decayed surfaces compared with the control group (