Utilization of dental care in Iranian pregnant women

Abstract

Background: Although 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 examine the prevalence of not receipt dental care and also determinants of that during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This population-based study was conducted on 4071 mothers in 10 provinces of Iran, during 2014–2015. We calculated the prevalence of not receipt of dental care, and reasons for nonreceipt of care. We used logistic regression to estimate odds of nonreceipt of care by demographics variables. In the analyses, the level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Overall, 54.70% of women had no dental visit during pregnancy. In mothers who had a history of stillbirth, neonatal death and live birth, the prevalence of not receipt dental care during pregnancy were 54.56%, 48.92%, and 58.76%, respectively. The logistic regression analyses showed that parity second-to-fourth birth than first birth (odds ratio [OR] 1.37 confidence interval [CI] 95% 1.17–1.59, residence in rural (OR 1.68 CI 95% 1.45–1.95), and not intended pregnancy (OR 1.32 CI 95% 1.03–1.68) associated with not received dental care during pregnancy. Conclusion: Most pregnant women in this study received insufficient dental care. The need for dental care during pregnancy must be promoted widely among women of reproductive age, and family barriers to dental care should be addressed.

Perceptions and determinants of oral health care among Iranian pregnant women: a qualitative study

“…2 The results of a population-based study during 2014-2015 among 4071 Iranian pregnant women in 10 different provinces showed that about 55% of pregnant women are not visited by a dentist during pregnancy. 7 More than half of Iranian pregnant women brush their teeth once a day, and the average DMFT score of pregnant women was reported as 3.93±5.64. 8 Pregnant women may not have enough knowledge about the effects of their oral health on the fetus and the consequences of their pregnancy.…”

The association of employment status and unwanted job loss with maternal oral health experiences: findings from the pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system

“…Extant research on the link between occupational status and oral health is scarce, and most of it is from outside the U.S. The small available literature suggests that most pregnant women receive insufficient dental care, [ 21 – 23 ] with the main barriers being financial stress (e.g., costs), [ 22 , 24 , 25 ] work-related aspects (e.g., time constraints, discrimination), [ 24 – 26 ] but also a lack of information about pregnant women’s oral health. [ 27 ] Employment status (e.g., related to financial and insurance access) and education (e.g., unawareness of oral hygiene or the effects of pregnancy on oral health) also have a role in the mother’s visit to dental care.…”