Determinants of Dental Care Attendance during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Despite the fact that dental care attendance during pregnancy has been recommended by guidelines and institutions, the demand for dental services is still low among pregnant women. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the determinants of dental care attendance during pregnancy. We performed a systematic literature search in the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Brazilian Library in Dentistry, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Medline using relevant keywords. Studies were filtered by publication year (2000-2016) and language (English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French). The included studies were assessed for quality. Their characteristics and statistically significant factors were reported. Fourteen papers were included in the review. The prevalence of dental service usage during pregnancy ranged from 16 to 83%. Demographic factors included women's age, marital status, parity, and nationality. The socioeconomic factors were income, educational level, and type of health insurance. Many psychological and behavioral factors played a role, including oral health practices, oral health and pregnancy beliefs, and health care maintenance. Referred symptoms of gingivitis, dental pain, or dental problems were perceived need. Demographic, socioeconomic, psychological, behavioral factors and perceived need were associated with the utilization of dental services during pregnancy. More well-designed studies with reliable outcomes are required to confirm the framework described in this review.

Prenatal Oral Health Care and Early Childhood Caries Prevention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Moreover, another dilemma that needs to be considered is that, although routine oral care during pregnancy has been demonstrated to be safe, and recommendations for prenatal oral care have been disseminated globally, utilization of prenatal oral health care is limited in both developed and developing countries [Rocha et al, 2018]. In contrast to the limited utilization of prenatal dental care, over 76% of US women admitted to suffering from oral health problems (pain, bleeding gums, and oral infection) during pregnancy, while more than 43% did not have a dental checkup during pregnancy [DentistryIQ Editors, 2015].…”

Barriers and facilitators to dental care during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

“…The search strategy was pre-planned 23 in order to seek all available studies on the topic, similarly to Rocha et al 20 (Box 1). We searched on the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database (LILACS), Brazilian Library in Dentistry (BBO) and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL, via EBSCO).…”

“…Some of the barriers to the utilization of oral health care services described are misconception, dental fear, difficulty of access to dental treatment, time constraints, dissatisfaction with the quality of services, and beliefs that dental treatment is unsafe 12,13 . Most of them are poorly explored in quantitative studies, according to a recent systematic review 20 . Furthermore, the findings of this systematic review suggest that it is still necessary to better understand the role of psychosocial factors in the use of dental services by pregnant women.…”

A low cost minimally invasive adhesive alternative for maxillary central incisor replacement

“…This clinical report describes the treatment option for replacement of a missing central incisor, using two retainer RBFDP made from ZrO 2 ceramics. The choice of two retainers provided greater contact with the surface of the enamel, contributing to the union of the structure to the abutment teeth . In addition, studies have shown higher fracture resistance for RBFPD from two retainers than for cantilever RBFPDs …”

“…The choice of two retainers provided greater contact with the surface of the enamel, contributing to the union of the structure to the abutment teeth. 8,19,21,22 In addition, studies have shown higher fracture resistance for RBFPD from two retainers than for cantilever RBFPDs. 23,24 Traditional RBFDP made with metal frame, present esthetic disadvantage with grayish discoloration through the enamel of the teeth of the pillar caused by the shadow effect of the structure.…”