Oral Health Behaviours, Knowledge, and Literacy of Expectant Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study among Maternity Ward Patients

Abstract

Maternal knowledge, literacy, and behaviours in the area of oral health may greatly influence the risk of caries and the oral health status of children from the youngest age. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate paediatric oral health knowledge and literacy as well as maternal oral health behaviours and outcomes among expectant mothers. A cross-sectional study was undertaken among 400 pregnant inpatients aged 17–48 years (mean age 29.5 ± 5.3 years) in 31 public maternity wards in the Wielkopolska region, Poland. An anonymous, self-designed questionnaire was prepared on the basis of current oral health recommendations. Pregnancy complications were reported by 195 (48.8%), and permanent tooth extractions by 158 (39.5%) women. Knowledge and literacy scores were associated with, among other things, maternal education, selected oral hygiene practices, and reported extractions of permanent teeth. Although participants had some correct information regarding oral health, they had insufficient awareness of caries as an infectious disease and of the appropriate timing for the child’s first dental visit. Their self-assessment of oral health status and belief that they were under dental care tended to be overly optimistic, given their self-reported outcomes. These aspects should be considered in future health education efforts among expectant women.

Polish pregnant women’s knowledge on early childhood caries prevention and oral hygiene in children

“…Despite the availability of free check-ups, 60% of Polish children aged 3 and about 25% of children aged 5 have never been to a dentist [ 4 ]. These data indicate that education relating to the availability of free dental check-ups for children is necessary, especially given that of parents cite the economic factor as a barrier to using dental services [ 25 ].…”

Social and Preventive Factors That Explain Oral Health among Pregnant Women in the Canton of Cuenca, Ecuador

“…The lack of correlation between educational level and oral health was even more unexpected. These findings are striking as these two factors often contribute to social inequalities in health studies [31,37,38], in oral health [3,9,10,39], or in the oral health of pregnant women [37,40,41]. It is common to find a relationship between socioeconomic position (income, social class and occupation) and health [38,42,43], or with oral health [39,[44][45][46].…”

Leveraging Dental Stem Cells for Oral Health during Pregnancy: A Concise Review

“…Increasing evidence indicates that oral health plays a crucial role in maternal well-being and can affect the health of the developing fetus. Several authors have provided a relevant contribution to the significance of oral health maintenance during pregnancy, offering insights into preventive measures, management strategies, and collaborative efforts necessary among healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive care for expectant mothers [3][4][5]. Pregnancy is a unique stage of a woman's life, marked by profound physiological changes, including fluctuations in hormone levels, which in turn exert significant effects on oral health [4,6].…”

“…Several authors have provided a relevant contribution to the significance of oral health maintenance during pregnancy, offering insights into preventive measures, management strategies, and collaborative efforts necessary among healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive care for expectant mothers [3][4][5]. Pregnancy is a unique stage of a woman's life, marked by profound physiological changes, including fluctuations in hormone levels, which in turn exert significant effects on oral health [4,6]. These hormonal shifts, particularly elevated levels of estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), establish a setting favorable to oral health changes that, in turn, may favor the occurrence of gingivitis and periodontitis.…”