The importance of prenatal dental care: a concise systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Prenatal dental care is extremely important, as it requires a series of specific care for pregnant patients. There is a need for specific care with the health of the mouth and informing the patient of essential care for her and her baby's health. Also, the microorganisms that cause these diseases can migrate to the uterus and cause premature births. Several studies show that dental care was considered safe for the mother and fetus throughout the entire period of pregnancy. Objective: To carry out a brief systematic review of the literature to elucidate the main considerations for success during the treatment of oral health in pregnant women. Methods: The research was carried out from May 2021 to June 2021 and developed based on Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar, following the Systematic Review-PRISMA rules. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument and the risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane instrument. Results: A total of 244 articles were found. A total of 76 articles were evaluated in full and 19 were included and evaluated in the present study. A total of 3 Studies with a High Risk of Bias and 1 Study with Uncertain Risk. Studies have suggested a protective effect of prenatal oral health care against the onset of caries in infancy and up to before 4 years of age. The transport of S. mutans in children was also significantly reduced in the intervention group. Children exposed to the use of maternal substances had a higher incidence of hospitalization for dental caries than unexposed children. Thus, inadequate prenatal education in oral health can negatively impact the quality of oral hygiene in children. It is imperative to develop strategies to improve oral health and develop a health system strengthening by interprofessional collaboration in the prenatal phase of pregnant women. Furthermore, an inverse relationship was observed between 25(OH)D levels and the number of decayed primary teeth. Conclusion: Taking care of oral health is part of the daily rhythm of personal hygiene. The monitoring of a dental surgeon during pregnancy is considered to prevent and treat the pregnant woman's oral diseases and clarify the doubts of future mothers since the baby's oral health begins to establish itself during the gestational period.