Oral Health during Pregnancy: Current Research

Abstract

This report describes recent efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Oral Health, to understand more fully women's knowledge and attitudes regarding oral health and dental visits during pregnancy. Using data from the CDC Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), investigators are conducting both quantitative and qualitative research on these issues. PRAMS is an ongoing state-based and population-based surveillance survey of women's attitudes, experiences, and behaviors before, during, and after pregnancy. Findings have shown that most mothers did not make a dental visit during pregnancy, and of those who reported having oral problems, one-half did not seek care. Preliminary analysis of qualitative results shows that some women may believe that poor oral health status during pregnancy is normal; also, they may fear certain aspects of dental care during pregnancy. For example, some women may believe that they or their fetus could be harmed by treatment. If pregnancy modifies perceptions of oral health and dental care in women, it may contribute to women's avoidance of dental treatment while pregnant. Therefore, researchers and health program planners should give increased attention to the oral health needs and behaviors of pregnant women.

Oral health status, knowledge and practice among pregnant women attending Omdurman maternity hospital, Sudan

“…About 90% did not visit a dentist; of those, more than half did not feel they needed to, and a considerable proportion thought that dental treatment should be avoided during pregnancy as it might harm their baby or themselves. Likewise, a survey in the USA revealed that half of the women who reported oral problems did not seek care because they believed that poor oral health during pregnancy was routine and feared that dental treatment might harm their baby (10).…”

“…Unfortunately, it is widely observed that many women with obvious signs of oral disease do not visit a dentist before, during or after pregnancy (9). Some, fear that they or their fetus might be harmed by dental treatment, others consider poor oral health status during pregnancy as normal (10). Appropriate knowledge, attitude and behaviour of pregnant women could prevent oral problems and their complications during pregnancy (11).…”

Oral Health Conditions and Dental Visits Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women of Childbearing Age in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004

“…The differences in reported use of dental care between pregnant and nonpregnant women may be related to delaying or postponing dental care until after delivery by both pregnant women and dental professionals to avoid potential adverse pregnancy outcomes (4,13,19,20). However, there is no evidence that dental care, such as dental prophylaxis and tooth scaling, is harmful to a pregnant woman or her developing fetus (3,16,21–23).…”

“…Developing a formal referral process between health care professionals and dental services may help increase awareness of oral health care during prenatal visits (16,25). Nonetheless, socioeconomic barriers such as time constraints and expense may limit access to dental care during pregnancy (4,10,15,19,26–29). …”

Effect of Oral Diseases on Mothers Giving Birth to Preterm Infants

“…This finding should be communicated to pregnant women in order to motivate them to maintain a good level of oral hygiene to prevent disease and promote and enhance their own oral health [30] as well as that of their infants. A possible explanation for avoiding dental visits during pregnancy, as suggested by Ressler-Maerlender et al [31] , could be the belief that poor oral health status during pregnancy is normal, or it may be due to a fear of certain aspects of dental care during pregnancy which might affect the embryo.…”