Healthy Pregnancy: A Patient-Centered Approach to Counseling and Behavioral Change.

Many current myths and outdated practices exist regarding dental care for pregnant women. Additionally, many medical care providers fail to check pregnant patients for dental problems and refer them for dental care. Therefore, it is critical that dental healthcare providers and their medical colleagues are well-informed of the risks and benefits of dental care throughout pregnancy and are equipped with the tools to discuss the importance of dental health with patients. Patient-centered interventions, such as motivational interviewing (MI), are effective tools to alter patient behaviors and fully engage patients as active participants in their care. This review provides a framework of patient-centered interventions to improve patient involvement in their oral and overall well-being, offering methods and examples of a patient-centered approach, based on the fundamentals of MI.