Knowledge and Practices of Pregnant Women regarding Oral Health in A Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Poor dental hygiene has been associated with various perinatal complications in studiesdone worldwide but few studies in Nepal have explored the knowledge of pregnant ladies regardingdental hygiene. The aim of the study was to know the knowledge and practices of pregnant womenregarding oral health in a tertiary care center in Nepal.
 Methods: A qualitative study was carried out in Nobel Medical College and Teaching Hospital fromJanuary 15, 2018 to June 15, 2018 after approval from the Institutional Review Committee of NobelMedical College. Convenience sampling was done. Fifty pregnant women admitted in antenatalward were interviewed regarding their knowledge of dental care in pregnancy, the common dentalproblems they faced and the treatment taken. A predesigned proforma was used and results wereanalyzed using SPSS version 17.
 Results: Twenty two (44%) patients reported dental problems during pregnancy. Bleeding gumswas seen in 7 (14%) and toothache in 7 (14%) were commonly reported dental problems. Forty seven(94%) patients acknowledged that routine dental care was needed for health, only 6 (12%) wereaware that poor dental health could affect baby weight. Oral health not seen as priority in 24 (48%)was the main barrier to seeking dental care in pregnancy followed by costs of treatment in 18 (36%)and safety concerns in pregnancy in 8 (16%) cases.
 Conclusions: Though dental problems were a common occurrence in pregnancy, utilization ofservices was low for the same. The participants reported significant barriers to obtaining dental careincluding lack of knowledge about the importance of maternal oral health and the treatment costs.

Prevalence of Gingivitis in Second Trimester of Pregnancy

“…40 Unfortunately, only 59.4% of the medical practitioners agree that periodontal problems could affect pregnancy outcomes 40 and only 12% of women acknowledge that poor oral health may contribute to low birth weight babies. 38 The plaque index in our study was found to be 0.55. Pregnant women may nd tooth brushing to be nearly impossible, especially in premolar & molar areas because of the pregnancy-related nausea.…”

“…Most women brushed once daily as seen in Nepal. 38,39,47,48 Our study showed no association between gingival index and oral hygiene habit or frequency of brushing.…”

“…Bleeding gums has been reported as the most common problem in pregnant females in Nepal. 38,39 Lack of proper dental health knowledge, low socioeconomic and educational level and neglect of oral health could be the factors responsible for this high percentage of gingivitis. Majority of the population in Nepal do not go anywhere for dental treatment and consultation with medical practitioners is more common than visit to a dentist.…”

Oral health knowledge among a cohort of pregnant women in south India: A questionnaire survey

“…This finding was in line with Gupta et al . [ 32 ] and Avula et al .’s[ 27 ] studies, thus, an intensified education paves an important insight into the improvement of knowledge and reduces suffering. The majority of the study subjects had low oral health knowledge scores irrespectively of a number of pregnancies which could be attributed to the low mean age of the respondents.…”

Efektifitas Media Promosi Kesehatan terhadap Peningkatan Pengetahuan, Sikap dan Perilaku Ibu Hamil Melakukan Kunjungan Antenatal Care

“…Peningkatan pengetahuan merupakan pendukung untuk terbentuknya sikap positif terhadap perubahan termasuk perilaku Kunjungan antenatal care namun demikian pada penelitian ini menyatakan hasil yang sebaliknya yaitu pada masing-masing variabel terikat yaitu pengetahuan, sikap dan perilaku tidak ada nilai yang kurang dari 0.05 yang artinya tidak ada perbedaan antara antara penghasilan tinggi maupun rendah terhadap pengetahuan, sikap dan perilaku tentang kunjungan antenatal care di puskesmas belakang padang Batam (23).…”