Comparison of the oral and dental health awareness of pregnant individuals: A pilot study from Turkey

Abstract

Background: In this study, it was aimed to investigate the sociocultural and socioeconomic status of pregnant patients who applied to the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery for tooth extraction as well as their level of awareness about oral and dental health. Methods: A questionnaire including total of 16 questions about their awareness, practices and attitudes towards oral and dental health was filled by 193 pregnant volunteers, and the results were evaluated statistically. Results: When the attitudes of pregnant women towards oral and dental health were examined according to their monthly income, it was found that there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). However, it was determined that the attitudes of pregnant women with a middle income towards oral and dental health were better. In addition, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference in the level of consciousness between those who had a dental examination during pregnancy and those who did not (p<0.05). Conclusions: Not all the pregnant women are always aware that they may have problems by their oral and dental health during their pregnancy and moreover, they are not always well informed by the health personnel. It seems there is a lack of dental health controls in Turkey for pregnants. This pilot study indicates that oral health screening needs to be a routine procedure of antenatal clinics in Turkey in order to inform pregnants in detail regardless of their sociocultural and socioeconomic status to reach better oral health and consequently better pregnancy outcomes.