Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121097

Meredith L. Vandermeer, BSc¹, Kenneth D. Rosenberg, MD, MPH², and Alfredo P. Sandoval, MS, MBA². (1) Department of Public Health, Oregon State University, 256 Waldo Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-6406, (2) Office of Family Health, Oregon Department of Human Services, 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 850, Portland, OR 97232, 971-673-0237, ken.d.rosenberg@state.or.us

Objective: To evaluate the impact of prenatal care site on women receiving advice about the importance of seeing a dentist during pregnancy.

Methods: Oregon PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) is an ongoing survey of postpartum women on the subject of their experiences before, during and after pregnancy. The combined 2000 and 2001 surveys had a total of 3952 respondents randomly selected from birth certificates (72.6% response rate). Women were asked where they received most of their prenatal care and whether a health professional talked with them during their prenatal care visits about the importance of seeing a dentist during their pregnancy. They were also asked whether they saw a dentist during the pregnancy.

Results: In bivariate logistic analysis, women who received their prenatal care advice from a health department clinic were more likely to be advised by their prenatal care provider on the importance of seeing a dentist during their pregnancy than women who received their prenatal care advice from a private doctor or HMO (OR=1.98, 95% CI 1.49-2.63). Those women who received prenatal care advice to see a dentist during their pregnancy were more likely to visit a dentist (OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.50-2.40).

Conclusions: Pregnant women should be made aware of the importance of oral health care because good oral health may prevent preterm low birthweight. All women should be advised by prenatal care providers of the importance of seeing a dentist during their pregnancy -- regardless of their source of prenatal care.

Learning Objectives: The following objectives will be addressed within the contents of the poster

• Gain knowledge on the subject of prenatal oral health care.
• Discuss factors regarding the importance of seeing a dentist during pregancy.
• Describe source of prenatal care as an indicator for receiving prenatal oral health care advice.

Keywords: Oral Health, Prenatal Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.