Oral Health and Pregnancy

Dental care is an important part of care during pregnancy. Pregnancy brings a different phase in every woman's life and brings with it a lot of physical and mental changes. These can adversely affect the oral health of pregnant women. This study assessed women's opinions and perception on oral health and barriers which prevented them from seeking dental care during their term of pregnancy. We conducted a cross sectional survey at the Women, Infant and Child (WIC) clinic at the Local Health Department in Kentucky. A total of 79 women completed the survey. Almost one third of the women perceived that visiting a dentist during pregnancy would cause harm to their baby. 46 % of the women did not visit a dentist during their pregnancy; 40 % had not received dental treatment for at least one year and 35% reported cost as the major barrier. Apart from this transportation was reported as the second major barrier. More than half of the participants considered family and peer support as a motivating factor for them to seek dental care. More than fifty percent of the participants believed that they would visit the dental clinic if someone from the WIC clinic or dental hygienist had advised it. Many pregnant women had misconceptions that dental treatment during pregnancy would cause harm to them or their baby and therefore did not seek professional help.WIC nurses, dental hygienists and maternity care providers should devote more time to promote oral care and maintain oral health during pregnancy.