{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T06:17:56Z","timestamp":1778566676568,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778544000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oral Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Maternal and child oral health (MCOH) plays an important role in preventing early childhood caries and improving pregnancy outcomes. Despite global recognition of this link, India has no formal incorporation of oral health into maternal care. Public Health Dentists may be well-positioned to address this gap; however, their roles within maternal and child oral health services have received limited attention. The present exploratory workforce study, therefore examined the perceptions, roles, and systemic barriers experienced by Public Health Dentists in India.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A mixed-methods study design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 150 Public Health Dentists between February and June 2025 using a structured questionnaire that underwent a validation process. This phase was followed by in-depth qualitative interviews with 25 participants to obtain a more detailed understanding of their experiences. Quantitative data were analysed using chi-square tests and multivariable binary logistic regression, while qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis. The findings were incorporated using triangulation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A large proportion of respondents (85%) reported being confident in providing oral health education to pregnant women; however, 60% indicated that they had not received formal training in maternal and child oral health. The most commonly reported barriers include limited awareness among patients (40%), financial constraints (25%), and prevailing cultural beliefs (20%). Participants practicing in rural settings reported greater challenges related to accessibility and health literacy. Qualitative findings further highlighted the educator and advocacy roles of Public Health Dentists, while also emphasising systemic limitations and the need for stronger interdisciplinary collaboration. Formal training was significantly associated with higher confidence in service delivery (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.002).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings suggest that the Public Health Dentists may currently be underutilised in maternal and child oral health services, largely due to structural and training-related limitations. Strengthening the integration of oral health within national maternal health initiatives, including the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH\u2009+\u2009A) programme, together with competency-based training and improved interprofessional collaboration, could help enhance service delivery and address existing gaps in maternal and child oral healthcare in India.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2026.1839520","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T05:45:05Z","timestamp":1778564705000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Public health dentists in maternal and child oral health in India: workforce roles, systemic barriers, and policy implications from a mixed-methods study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Omkar","family":"Shinde","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital","place":["Pune, India"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vittaldas","family":"Shetty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital","place":["Pune, India"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vikram","family":"Garcha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital","place":["Pune, India"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kadambari","family":"Ambildhok","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital","place":["Pune, India"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vineet","family":"Vinay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital","place":["Pune, India"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abhijit","family":"Shinde","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shree Gajanan Dental Clinic","place":["Thane, India"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Firas","family":"Elmsmari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University","place":["Ajman, United Arab Emirates"]},{"name":"Center of Medical and Bio Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University","place":["Ajman, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ajinkya M.","family":"Pawar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Nair Hospital Dental College","place":["Mumbai, India"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2017.00157","article-title":"Early childhood caries: prevalence, risk factors, and prevention","volume":"5","author":"Anil","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front Pediatr"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"869","DOI":"10.3390\/children11070869","article-title":"Nutritional deficiencies and associated oral health in adolescents: a comprehensive scoping review","volume":"11","author":"Hung","year":"2024","journal-title":"Children"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-020-01149-9","article-title":"Governance, maternal well-being and early childhood caries in 3\u20135-year-old children","volume":"20","author":"Folayan","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"411","DOI":"10.1159\/000495187","article-title":"Prenatal oral health care and early childhood caries prevention: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"53","author":"Xiao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Caries Res"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD012155.pub2","article-title":"Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries","volume":"2020","author":"Riggs","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"303","DOI":"10.1620\/tjem.240.303","article-title":"Antenatal health care and postnatal dental check-ups prevent early childhood caries","volume":"240","author":"Nakai","year":"2016","journal-title":"Tohoku J Exp Med"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.ebd.6400677","article-title":"Oral health promotion initiated during pregnancy successful in reducing early childhood caries: question: can an oral health promotion programme starting during pregnancy prevent early childhood caries?","volume":"10","author":"Lucey","year":"2009","journal-title":"Evid Based Dent"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"612","DOI":"10.4103\/0972-124X.162196","article-title":"Oral health knowledge and awareness among pregnant women in India: a systematic review","volume":"19","author":"Gambhir","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Indian Soc Periodontol"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-018-0589-0","article-title":"The impact of anticipatory guidance on early childhood caries: a quasi-experimental study","volume":"18","author":"Ismail","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1111\/idj.12506","article-title":"Maternal and child oral health interventions in Middle East and north Africa regions: a rapid review","volume":"69","author":"Abuhaloob","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int Dent J"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41415-024-7908-4","article-title":"What are the public health benefits of community-based education in dentistry? A scoping review","author":"Ayibuofu-Uwandi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Br Dent J"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"ckac129.257","DOI":"10.1093\/eurpub\/ckac129.257","article-title":"Introducing maternal oral health as global health and public health agenda","volume":"32","author":"Lee","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur J Public Health"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"703","DOI":"10.1002\/jdd.13519","article-title":"Maternal and child oral health barriers and solutions: case studies from South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia","volume":"88","author":"Ramphoma","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Dent Educ"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"670154","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2021.670154","article-title":"Oral health policies to tackle the burden of early childhood caries: a review of 14 countries\/regions","volume":"2","author":"Chen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Oral Health"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"384","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-021-01746-2","article-title":"Pregnant women utilization of dental services: still a challenge in low resource setting","volume":"21","author":"Onwuka","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-018-0564-9","article-title":"Oral health knowledge, behavior, and care seeking among pregnant and recently-delivered women in rural Nepal: a qualitative study","volume":"18","author":"Lubon","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1394","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-025-22593-8","article-title":"Oral healthcare access: self-perceived barriers faced during pregnancy\u2014a systematic review","volume":"25","author":"Frey-Furtado","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.3290\/j.ohpd.b4100965","article-title":"Oral health knowledge, attitudes, practices, and literacy of pregnant women: a scoping review","volume":"21","author":"Tenenbaum","year":"2023","journal-title":"Oral Health Prev Dent"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"520","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_1129_21","article-title":"Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of primary healthcare workers of lucknow district: a cross-sectional study","volume":"11","author":"Singh","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Fam Med Prim Care"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa","article-title":"Using thematic analysis in psychology","volume":"3","author":"Braun","year":"2006","journal-title":"Qual Res Psychol"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1186\/s12903-018-0515-5","article-title":"Knowledge and attitude of emergency physician about the emergency management of tooth avulsion","volume":"18","author":"Bahammam","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Oral Health"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"685","DOI":"10.14219\/jada.archive.2008.0250","article-title":"Examining the safety of dental treatment in pregnant women","volume":"139","author":"Michalowicz","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Am Dent Assoc"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.1177\/23800844211028132","article-title":"What factors influence dental faculty\u2019s willingness to treat pregnant women?","volume":"7","author":"Huang","year":"2022","journal-title":"JDR Clin Transl Res"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e54","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0040-1702927","article-title":"Perinatal oral health: a novel collaborative initiative to improve access, attitudes, comfort level, and knowledge of pregnant women and dental providers","volume":"10","author":"Mayberry","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am J Perinatol Rep"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1162","DOI":"10.5993\/AJHB.43.6.13","article-title":"Obstetric Providers\u2019 role in prenatal oral health counseling and referral","volume":"43","author":"Horowitz","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am J Health Behav"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.14219\/jada.archive.2011.0061","article-title":"Assessing the relationship between children\u2019s oral health Status and that of their mothers","volume":"142","author":"Dye","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Am Dent Assoc"},{"key":"B27","year":""},{"key":"B28","year":""},{"key":"B29","year":""}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Oral Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2026.1839520\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T05:45:07Z","timestamp":1778564707000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/froh.2026.1839520\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"references-count":29,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/froh.2026.1839520"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/froh.2026.1839520","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-4842"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-4842","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"article-number":"1839520"}}