IADR Abstract Archives
Dental Faculty Knowledge & Attitudes Regarding Treatment of Pregnant Patients.
Objectives: To understand dental faculty barriers to providing evidence-based dental care during pregnancy.
Methods: For this QI project we designed a questionnaire exploring dental care for pregnant women comprising knowledge (10 items) and attitude (3 items) scales. All items were 7-point Likert type. After pilot testing, we administered the questionnaire to dental faculty attending CE sessions on guidelines for treatment of pregnant women based on the Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Document (NCD 2012).
Results: Ninety-three dental faculty responded (64% male, 66.2% full-time). Knowledge: Virtually all faculty stated that prenatal care should include a dental screening (96.7%) and dental care (94.6%), that women should see a dentist during pregnancy (97.8%), and that pregnancy exacerbates periodontal pathology (92.1%). Only 70.8% agreed that “oral bacteria are transmitted from mother to child” and 68.9% that “a mother’s oral health is related to her child’s oral health.” Almost half (44.4%) were unaware of the NCD. While 65.2% stated that “elective care could be provided throughout pregnancy,” 21.1% stated that “women should receive only emergency care,” and 22.2% said that “dental radiographs during pregnancy are unsafe.” Females were more likely to be aware of the NCD and of the relationship between a mother and child’s oral health. Faculty in private practice were more likely to state that radiographs during pregnancy are unsafe.Attitudes: One in five (20.7%) faculty “prefer not to treat pregnant women,” 30.4% “do not feel comfortable treating pregnant women” and 56.5% are “concerned about liability when treating pregnant patients.” Years since graduation was positively associated with liability concern.
Conclusions: Many faculty have outdated knowledge regarding the care of pregnant patients, despite the existence of the NCD endorsed by the American Dental Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Concern about liability is a major barrier among this group of dental faculty.
Methods: For this QI project we designed a questionnaire exploring dental care for pregnant women comprising knowledge (10 items) and attitude (3 items) scales. All items were 7-point Likert type. After pilot testing, we administered the questionnaire to dental faculty attending CE sessions on guidelines for treatment of pregnant women based on the Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Document (NCD 2012).
Results: Ninety-three dental faculty responded (64% male, 66.2% full-time). Knowledge: Virtually all faculty stated that prenatal care should include a dental screening (96.7%) and dental care (94.6%), that women should see a dentist during pregnancy (97.8%), and that pregnancy exacerbates periodontal pathology (92.1%). Only 70.8% agreed that “oral bacteria are transmitted from mother to child” and 68.9% that “a mother’s oral health is related to her child’s oral health.” Almost half (44.4%) were unaware of the NCD. While 65.2% stated that “elective care could be provided throughout pregnancy,” 21.1% stated that “women should receive only emergency care,” and 22.2% said that “dental radiographs during pregnancy are unsafe.” Females were more likely to be aware of the NCD and of the relationship between a mother and child’s oral health. Faculty in private practice were more likely to state that radiographs during pregnancy are unsafe.Attitudes: One in five (20.7%) faculty “prefer not to treat pregnant women,” 30.4% “do not feel comfortable treating pregnant women” and 56.5% are “concerned about liability when treating pregnant patients.” Years since graduation was positively associated with liability concern.
Conclusions: Many faculty have outdated knowledge regarding the care of pregnant patients, despite the existence of the NCD endorsed by the American Dental Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Concern about liability is a major barrier among this group of dental faculty.
