A study on oral health behaviour of pregnant women

Objectives: To investigate oral health behaviour of pregnant women, and its correlation with dental health and treatment needs. Methods: 742 pregnant women from urban areas and 656 women from rural areas were selected by stratified sampling in 8 regions of Poland, and asked to complete questionnaires investigating their oral health habits. Women were given a dental examination and caries scores and dental treatment needs recorded. Results: 75.1% of women reported cleaning their teeth &ge2x daily, and 91.4% &ge1x daily. Over 94% of respondents cleaned their teeth using a toothbrush and paste/powder; 3.5% only rinsed the mouth with water. Although 79.9% knew what dental floss is used for, only 40.3% of women from urban areas and 25.9% from rural areas actually used it themselves. 30.5% had not been to the dentist during the last year, and 15.6% - during the last 2 years. When regional variations were considered, 8.9%-20.6% of women had not seen a dentist during the last 2 years. A significant proportion of women reported neglecting dental visits; in 51.4% of cases the reason given was peer influence. There was a trend towards lower DMFT, DT and percentage DT>10 in regions where respondents most often reported cleaning teeth &ge2x daily. In regions where women least often cleaned teeth &ge2x daily, DMFT, DT, MT and percentage DT>10 were highest, as were treatment needs, including needs for endodontic treatment and extractions. Conclusions: A need was shown for measures to be introduced to improve oral health-related habits of expectant mothers.