Abstract

Loyalty and Relationship Building with Patients: Using Strategic Communication that Goes Beyond Words

by Paglia Luigi

One of the main channels for providing information on oral health during mother and child pregnancy is represented by direct and continuous contact with midwives and gynecologists, i.e. those operators in the health field with whom women mostly deal during the perinatal period. It would therefore be desirable, already during the pre- and post-partum courses, to promote information campaigns on topics of a dental nature aimed at women, to prepare them to welcome the novelties of the perinatal period. In light of these needs, in 2012 the Guidelines were promoted in the United States which saw the collaboration of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Dental Academy (OHRC, 2012). As far as Italy is concerned, the collaboration between the European Federation of Periodontology and the Italian Society of Periodontology has recently made it possible to develop an offer of information, accessible from the web, aimed at professionals and mothers, to disseminate in a simple and direct way what is essential to know in order to achieve optimal oral health in pregnancy (EFP and SIdP, 2017). The pediatric dentist is sometimes contacted too late, when the carious pathology, for example, is already in an advanced state. Therefore, it is essential, together with the general dentist, to inform young women, illustrating what critical issues may arise during pregnancy and in the first years of the child's life, and to give them a series of instructions, starting from the basics, such as the frequency of brushing and the correct use of fluoridated toothpastes. Finally, a common program is also desirable for the evaluation of patients' knowledge on aspects such as prevention and oral health, in order to intercept weaknesses and implement targeted programs supported both in the private sector and by the national health system.

Learning Objectives

After this lecture, you will be able to knowing that optimal oral health conditions in women is of fundamental importance for the best pregnancy outcome and for the promotion of the oral health of the unborn child.
After this lecture, you will be able to highlight the possible association between maternal oral infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes
After this lecture, you will be able to knowing that the preference for sweet tastes is innate and can be reinforced after birth by familial and cultural influences