This study highlighted the barriers that exist for midwives to discuss oral health with women and refer women to dental care, and women's experiences of accessing dental care during pregnancy. Ongoing collaboration between the maternity and dental services is required to strengthen midwives' knowledge, confidence and practise in supporting women to access dental care during pregnancy.

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Background Poor oral health is known to be associated with frailty in geriatric populations. Recent exposure to anticholinergic medications is responsible for features of poor oral health. Anticholinergic medications pose a cumulative risk for frailty. Methods We studied 115 geriatric inpatients (aged >65 years and recruited over a 3‐month period from October to December 2017). Patients who were severely agitated, cognitively impaired, from a non‐English speaking background and with severe sensory impairment were excluded. Frailty and oral health were assessed using the Reported Edmonton Frailty Scale and the Oral Health Assessment Test, respectively. Exposure to anticholinergic medications was assessed using the Anticholinergic Burden Scale. Results The mean age was 80 (range from 66 to 101). Only 44 patients (38.3%) were not exposed to any anticholinergic medication. Nearly two‐thirds of patients were taking anticholinergic medications, with 25% classified as having a high anticholinergic burden (ACB ≥ 4). Approximately one‐third of severely frail patients were exposed to a high anticholinergic burden. Patients with a high anticholinergic burden were more than twice as likely to have severe frailty (OR 2.21; 95% confidence interval 1.05–4.6). Poor oral health was associated with frailty (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.02–1.49). Conclusion High anticholinergic burden was found to be a risk marker for severe frailty independent of its effect on oral health. Poor oral health was associated with all levels of frailty. This study highlights a need for a review of medications with anticholinergic properties in older patients. Further research should be directed at whether deprescribing could prevent poor oral health or slow the progression of frailty.

Background Little is known about the relationship between dental caries prevalence and the social risk factors of asylum seekers and refugees in Australia. Methods An oral health interview and a clinical oral examination were carried out on 201 asylum seekers and refugees patients, aged 18–68, attending Monash Health Dental Services, Melbourne, Victoria. Results Data illustrated that 82% of participants had at least one tooth with untreated decay. Tooth level analysis revealed that white spot lesions were most prevalent in age groups 18–29 and 30–39, with respective mean values of 4.45 ± 4.95 and 3.49 ± 4.74. Binary logistic regression models identified multiple social factors as a barrier to receiving dental care. These included, but were not limited to; medication intake, consumption of soft drinks and long waiting lists. These social factors in addition to oral health factors, such as white spot and hypomineralization lesions, were significant predisposing factors to the presence of cavitated carious lesions. Conclusions Multiple social and oral health risk factors were identified and significantly associated with dental caries among refugee and asylum seeker patients. Addressing these underlying risks is an integral component to reducing the prevalence of dental caries among this population group and improving their overall general and oral health.