Assessment of Dentists’ Knowledge Concerning the Management of Breastfeeding Patients in Dental Office

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding is the feeding of babies and young children with milk from a woman's breast. Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits, including the lower risk for respiratory tract infections, asthma, diarrhea, food allergies, type 1 diabetes, and leukemia. It may also improve cognitive development and prevent obesity in adulthood.Purpose: To assess the dentists' medical knowledge regarding the dental treatment allowed during the breastfeeding period.Methodology: In this study were included active dentists. An online questionnaire was applied. The questionnaire was anonymous and the responses were collected online. The questions assessed the therapeutic approach of the patients during the breastfeeding period, what kind of treatments they perform in this category of patients and the time chosen for the dental treatments. The last category of questions collected data about the medication used or prescribed in breastfeeding patients. The data was analyzed using the descriptive statistics and the results were presented as means.Results: More than half of the doctors surveyed would treat a breastfeeding woman in any emergency situations, only if she postpone breastfeeding for the next 24 hours. About 85% of the respondents will perform the anesthesia in a nursing woman, but about just 1/3 will use mepivacaine and less than 3% will use lidocaine, anesthetic substances admitted in a breastfeeding woman. In our study, about 90% of doctors who indicated the administration of an antibiotic to a breastfeeding woman chose a synthetic penicillins drug that are admitted during the lactation period. Conclusion:Most dentists have insufficient knowledge regarding the treatments that can be performed in breastfeeding women. Therefore, post-graduate courses are required to update the knowledge of dentists in this domain.