Attitudes and barriers of pregnant women toward prenatal oral health care at antenatal centers of Mosul City, Iraq

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate pregnant women's attitudes on oral health and the obstacles to promoting it. Methodology: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out from 10th of September, 2022 to 20th of October, 2022. It included 155 pregnant ladies chosen using simple random sampling, and data were collected from 6 antenatal care centers in Mosul city. We used a structured interviewing questionnaire. Results: Average age of women was 28 years and 54.8% agreed that maintaining good oral health during pregnancy affects the health of the fetus. More than 54% said their greatest obstacle to promoting good oral health during pregnancy was their fear that dental treatments will harm the fetus. Conclusion: Most of the study participants had a good attitude toward improving pregnant women's oral health. However, they were afraid that dental treatments will harm their fetuses.