Guidelines, Resources, and Best Practices

 This compilation of resources includes guidelines, best practices, and resources for oral health providers. Please contact the Office of Oral Health if you would like to submit resources for this page.

General Oral Health Resources

Pregnant Women And Infants

Guidelines

• Pregnancy & Dental Care, Providers Fact Sheet (PDF)​​
  

• Oral Health Care During Pregnancy (PDF) - A National Consensus Statement (PDF): The NMCHOH Center from Georgetown University crafted this national consensus statement to streamline the delivery of oral health care services provided to pregnant women in the United States.  Review the summary of the expert workgroup meeting (PDF).

• Oral Health during Pregnancy and Early Childhood: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Health Professionals (PDF): The CDA crafted this policy brief to serve as a supplement to recommended practice guidelines for the delivery, timing, and scope of oral health services provided for pregnant women during the prenatal period in California.

• Oral Health Care for the Pregnant Adolescent: The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s (AAPD) guideline addresses the management of oral health care particular to the pregnant adolescent.

• Guideline on Infant Oral Health Care (PDF): The AAPD proposes recommendations for preventive strategies, oral health risk assessment, anticipatory guidance, and therapeutic interventions to be followed by dental, medical, nursing, and allied health professionals.

Literature

• Association between Infant Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in the United States: The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a study assessing the potential association of breastfeeding and other factors with the risk of ECC among young children.
  

• Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists produced this committee opinion to express support for counseling women about the maintenance of good oral health habits throughout the lifespan as well as the safety and importance of role health care during pregnancy.

• Women's Oral Health Concerns: Changing hormone levels during your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can raise your risk of problems in your mouth, teeth, or gums. Health issues such as diabetes can also affect your oral health. Regular brushing, flossing, and dentist visits can help prevent disease in your mouth and the rest of your body.
  

• Prenatal Oral Health Care (PDF):  This is an Issue Brief developed by Center for Oral Health describing the importance of oral health during pregnancy.

Resources

• Oral Health for Infants and Toddlers - A Medical Provider’s Guide (PDF): The San Francisco Department of Public Health in collaboration with others developed this Medical Providers Guide on oral health for infants and toddlers.  It provides an overview about oral assessment, caries risk factors, fluoride, nutrition, and oral health habits.

• Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles: The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center’s has a repository of good oral health information.

Children and Adolescent 

Guidelines

• Guideline on Periodicity of Examination, Prevention Dental Services, Anticipatory Guidance/Counseling, and Oral Treatment for Infants, Children, and Adolescents (PDF): The APPD developed these guidelines to help practitioners make clinical decisions concerning preventive oral health interventions.

• Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (AB1433): Information from California Department of Education related to Education Code Section 49452.8, which requires public school students to have an oral health assessment no later than May 31 of their first year of school enrollment.

• Guideline on Adolescent Oral Health Care (PDF): The AAPD developed these guidelines to address the unique oral health needs of adolescents and provide general recommendations for their management.
  

• California Children’s Services Orthodontic and Craniofacial Referral Guide (PDF): The San Francisco Department of Public Health in collaboration with others developed this Orthodontic and Craniofacial Referral Guide to serve as a screening tool to make appropriate referrals to California Children’s Services for severe oral conditions.

Resources

• Risk-Based Disease Prevention and Management of Early Childhood Caries 2nd Edition (PDF): The Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Dentistry created this flipchart so that health professionals can explain how cavities form, what they look like, and where they come from, and what dietary changes one can implement to reduce their risk of developing cavities. It also walks through tooth brushing, flossing, fluoride, and other oral health topics.

• Child Health and Disability Prevention Program Oral Health Educational Resources (0-5) (PDF) and Child Health and Disability Prevention Program Oral Health Educational Resources (6-20) (PDF): These documents were crafted by the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Bay Area Regional Dental Subcommittee and contain ordering information, description of materials, and targeted age groups to better direct the CHDP provider to topic-specific information.

• Safety Announcement on Benzocaine Gels and Liquids: Federal Food and Drug Administration safety announcement on rare adverse effects with the use of benzocaine gels and liquids applied to the gums or mouth.