INTRODUCTION:
maternal oral health remains a neglected component of antenatal care in low-resource settings. In south africa, approximately 21% of households experience food insecurity1, while oral health problems affect a substantial proportion of pregnant women globally, with prevalence estimates in low- and middle-income settings exceeding 50%2. Despite their shared contribution to maternal health inequities, the relationship between household food insecurity and maternal oral health during pregnancy remains poorly understood, particularly at the provincial level in settings such as kwazulu-natal.

METHODS:
a convergent mixed-methods study will be conducted at two public healthcare centres in durban. Structured questionnaires will be administered to 420 pregnant women aged 18–49 years, incorporating the food insecurity experience scale (FIES)3, self-reported oral health symptoms, and access to dental services. In-depth interviews will be conducted with a purposively selected sub-sample of pregnant women aged 16–24 years, along with 10–16 healthcare workers, to explore the lived experiences of food insecurity, oral health challenges, and health-system barriers to care.

RESULTS:
quantitative analyses will explore associations between household food insecurity severity and maternal oral health outcomes during pregnancy. Qualitative findings will be used to deepen understanding of potential pathways linking food insecurity and oral health, including dietary coping strategies, competing health priorities, and structural constraints within the health system that shape access to dental care.

CONCLUSIONS:
by generating context-specific evidence from kwazulu-natal, this study addresses a critical gap at the intersection of nutrition, oral health, and maternal care. The findings aim to inform more integrated antenatal interventions that align nutritional support with oral health promotion, contributing to efforts to reduce maternal and child health inequities in south africa.