Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of prenatal care practitioners regarding oral health in pregnancy—A systematic review

Anunciação, Beatriz Helena Samagaio Fernandes da; Azevedo, Maria João; Pereira, Maria Lurdes

doi:10.1002/ijgo.14703

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Gynecologists and midwives, as reported by the participants, do not seem inclined to invest time and effort in their patients' oral health. In agreement with these ndings, a recent systematic review concluded that gynecologists, obstetricians, nurses, and general practitioners are aware of the importance of oral health during pregnancy but still fail to translate this knowledge into clinical practice [40]. A non-negligible percentage of women reported experiencing oral problems during pregnancy, in line with those reported in American and Canadian women samples [41,42].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Knowledge and Habits on Oral Health of Highly Educated Women During Pregnancy and Their Babies. A Cross-sectional Questionnaire Survey in Northern-italy

Cagetti,

Salerno,

Ionescu

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Background: Life-long healthy behaviors are established during pregnancy and the first years of life. This cross-sectional survey aimed to interview new mothers with a high level of schooling living in Northern Italy (Lombardy Region) to assess their knowledge and habits relating to their oral health and their children’s oral health. Methods: A questionnaire (27 items) was developed to assess socio-demographic factors, knowledge, and attitudes toward mothers’ and child’s oral health. The questionnaire was disseminated in perinatal courses, private gynecological clinics, and via social media. Mothers aged ≥ 18 years, with at least a child aged 0-36 months, with a high school diploma or higher, were included in the survey. Results: Overall, 1340 women completed the questionnaire, 1297 of whom had a child aged 0-36 months, 792 were residents in Lombardy, and 600 had a high level of education and were finally included. About half of the sample (44.67%) were between 31 and 35 years, 76.50% were employed, and the majority had only one child (81.50%). During pregnancy, 28.33% of the sample reported problems with teeth and/or gums, while only 36.00% visited a dentist. More than 40% of the sample reported not being aware of a possible correlation between oral health and pregnancy, and 73.17% did not receive advice about their oral health or the future health of the baby’s mouth. Less than 20% of the women was aware of the increased caries risk due to prolonged or nocturnal breastfeeding. Better knowledge/attitude was associated with the age of the child (p<0.01), the number of children (p=0.04), and whether the mother had received advice during pregnancy (p<0.01). Conclusions: The findings of the present survey show a lack of dental care during pregnancy, a lack of information on oral health received from medical personnel during and after pregnancy, and, consequently, gaps in the knowledge needed to care for her and her child’s oral health. There is a need for training courses on oral health for pregnant women and new mothers, but also for a change in the behaviour of health professionals who care for pregnant women.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Knowledge and Habits on Oral Health of Highly Educated Women During Pregnancy and Their Babies. A Cross-sectional Questionnaire Survey in Northern-italy

Cagetti,

Salerno,

Ionescu

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Gynecologists and midwives, as reported by the participants, seem unwilling to invest time and effort in their patients’ oral health. In agreement with these findings, a recent systematic review concluded that gynecologists, obstetricians, nurses, and general practitioners are aware of the importance of oral health during pregnancy but still fail to translate this knowledge into clinical practice [ 41 ]. A non-negligible percentage of women reported experiencing oral problems during pregnancy, in line with those reported in American and Canadian women samples [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Knowledge and attitudes on oral health of women during pregnancy and their children: an online survey

Cagetti,

Salerno,

Ionescu

et al. 2024

BMC Oral Health

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Background Life-long healthy behaviors are established during pregnancy and the first years of life. In this cross-sectional survey, new mothers with a high level of schooling living in Northern Italy (Lombardy Region) were interviewed to assess their knowledge and attitudes towards their and child oral health. Methods A questionnaire (27 items) was developed to assess socio-demographic factors, knowledge, and attitudes towards maternal and child oral health. The questionnaire was disseminated in perinatal courses, private gynecological clinics, and via social media. Mothers aged ≥18 years, with at least a child aged 0–36 months, with a high school diploma or higher, were included in the survey. Results A total of 1340 women completed the questionnaire, 1297 of whom had a child aged 0–36 months, 792 lived in Lombardy, and 600 had a high level of education and were finally included. About half of the sample (44.67%) was aged between 31 and 35 years, 76.50% were employed, and the majority had only one child (81.50%). During pregnancy, 28.33% of the sample reported problems with teeth and gums, while only 36.00% visited a dentist. More than 40% of the sample said they were not aware of a possible link between oral health and pregnancy, and 73.17% had not received any advice about their oral health or the future health of their baby’s mouth. Less than 20% of women were aware of the increased caries risk associated with prolonged or night-time breastfeeding. Better knowledge/attitude was associated with the age of the child (p < 0.05), the number of children (p < 0.05) and whether the mother had received advice during pregnancy (p < 0.05). Conclusions The results of this survey show a lack of dental care during pregnancy, a lack of information about oral health from health professionals during and after pregnancy, and consequently gaps in the knowledge needed to care for the oral health of the woman and her child. There is a need for training in oral health for pregnant women and new mothers, but also a need for behavioural change among health professionals who care for pregnant women.

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Oral Health Care Among Women in Perimenopause or Menopause: An Integrative Review

Thomas,

Peters,

Reilly

et al. 2024

J Midwife Womens Health

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IntroductionWomen in menopause are at a higher risk of developing oral health problems, affecting their overall quality of life. Several studies have identified the role of health care providers in addressing women's oral health needs across various phases of their lives, yet a review in the area of perimenopause and menopause has not been undertaken. Therefore, the aim of this review was to explore current evidence regarding the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women in perimenopause or menopause and their health care providers. Additionally, guidelines and recommendations to inform strategies for oral health promotion are included.MethodsA systematic search was carried out across 5 databases. Inclusion criteria included articles published in English that examined at least one study outcome: oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of either women in perimenopause or menopause or of health care providers or guidelines around oral health care. Qualitative, quantitative, mixed‐methods, and experimental studies with survey components were included with no restrictions on publication period, quality, or setting.ResultsA total of 12 articles met the inclusion criteria, with a majority being of poor quality and mostly from low‐income and middle‐income countries. Overall findings indicated that there was a lack of knowledge and limited practices in maintaining oral hygiene and visiting the dentist among women in perimenopause or menopause. Health care providers exhibited poor attitudes in advising the importance of periodic dental check‐ups and informing oral health changes during this period. There were also insufficient guidelines to adopt care for women and guide health care providers in their practice.DiscussionWomen in perimenopause or menopause have limited oral health knowledge and unmet oral health needs. Appropriate guidelines and supportive strategies are required to assist health care providers in providing comprehensive care and encouragement to women in perimenopause or menopause to improve their oral health.

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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of prenatal care practitioners regarding oral health in pregnancy—A systematic review

Cited by 3 publications

References 44 publications

Knowledge and Habits on Oral Health of Highly Educated Women During Pregnancy and Their Babies. A Cross-sectional Questionnaire Survey in Northern-italy

Knowledge and Habits on Oral Health of Highly Educated Women During Pregnancy and Their Babies. A Cross-sectional Questionnaire Survey in Northern-italy

Knowledge and attitudes on oral health of women during pregnancy and their children: an online survey

Oral Health Care Among Women in Perimenopause or Menopause: An Integrative Review

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