An interventional study of Enhanced Care and Enhanced Care + in Gingivitis, Dental Health and Pregnancy, sponsored by University of California, San Francisco. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-08.
Sponsored by University of California, San Francisco · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Many pregnant people don't get the dental care they need, even though it's safe and important. The CHEER Study offers free dental check-ups, cleanings, and supplies to help participants take care of their teeth and gums during pregnancy. The purpose of this research study is to compare two types of noninvasive oral health interventions to evaluate their effectiveness. We want to learn if one method is more effective in supporting oral health and improving pregnancy outcomes. There are two aims of this study:
Aim 1: To evaluate whether a structured oral health intervention reduces periodontal inflammation during pregnancy and postpartum in pregnant people with indicators of periodontal disease.
Aim 2: To assess whether a structured oral health intervention is associated with changes in oral health behaviors or birth outcomes in pregnant people with periodontal disease.
The Closing Health Equity through Empowering Oral Health for Maternal Wellness (the CHEER Oral Health in Pregnancy Study) aims to address significant oral health disparities experienced by pregnant individuals, particularly those from low-income and minority communities in California.
Oral health is a critical yet often overlooked component of prenatal care. Existing evidence suggests that periodontal disease is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth and low birth weight. However, many pregnant individuals in California do not receive adequate oral health services, especially those from historically marginalized communities. The CHEER Project aims to address this gap by implementing an intervention that is scalable, community-engaged, and grounded in evidence-based education.
This study will generate novel data on the impact of oral health education and behavior modification, delivered through accessible messaging and product use, on periodontal inflammation and disease status, and microbiome profiles. It will also explore potential downstream effects on perinatal outcomes. The study aligns with public health priorities to improve maternal wellness, health equity, and the integration of dental and medical care.
There are two study aims:
Aim 1: To evaluate whether a structured oral health intervention reduces periodontal inflammation during pregnancy and postpartum in pregnant people with indicators of periodontal disease.
Aim 2: To assess whether a structured oral health intervention is associated with changes in oral health behaviors or birth outcomes in pregnant people with periodontal disease.
631 studies on the registry are indexed under Gingivitis; 107 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 160 is above the median of 66 across 507 interventional studies indexed under Gingivitis.
Browse Gingivitis studies →University of California, San Francisco is the lead sponsor of 2,169 studies on the registry; 372 are open to participants now.
Of its 267 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 202 (76%) have results posted.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Enhanced Care + receive a home oral care kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss), structured oral hygiene education, and behavioral reinforcement via weekly surveys
Behavioral: Enhanced Care +
Participants receive "enhanced care" where they received standard oral hygiene education at the baseline visit. Do NOT receive oral care kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss), structured oral hygiene education, and behavioral reinforcement via weekly surveys
Behavioral: Enhanced Care
All participants receive standard oral hygiene education at the baseline visit.
All participants receive standard oral hygiene education at the baseline visit. Test participants also receive a home oral care kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss), and will start receiving weekly oral health check-ins and reminder surveys following their initial visits at one-week intervals starting the day after their baseline visit
Change in periodontal inflammation
Change in periodontal inflammation by survey and exam from baseline to 28-\<36 weeks gestation to postpartum follow-up.
Time frame: 28 weeks
Changes in oral health behaviors
Change in patient reported 1) teeth brushing twice a day, 2) teeth brushing for two minutes each time, 3) daily use of floss among test and control participants
Time frame: 28 weeks
Difference in birth outcomes between test and control groups
Exploratory outcome: Differences between test and control participants: total weeks gestational age at delivery, preterm birth (\<37 gestational weeks), birthweight (in grams), low birth weight delivery (\<2500 grams), growth for gestational age percentile, and small for gestational age infant (infant birth weight lower than 10th percentile).
Time frame: 28 weeks
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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