Pregnant Patient Knowledge of and Obstetric Provider Advice on Oral Health

Research suggests pregnant women and obstetric providers possess inadequate knowledge about dental care that leads to underutilization of perinatal dental serviceS. Objectives: To examine the relationship between obstetric providers (OP) giving oral health advice to pregnant women and pregnant women’s self-reported oral health awareness and behaviors (e.g., visiting dentist). Methods: Surveys were completed by 237 pregnant or post partum patients and 31 OPs from 12 outpatient obstetric practices located throughout the United StateS. Results: Only 21.8% of the patients reported receiving encouragement from their OP to see a dentist while pregnant and 44.4% were told the importance of good oral health during pregnancy. Patients who received both encouragement to see a dentist and were told about the importance of good oral health were six times (OR=6.3, 95% CI = 2.1-19.1) more likely to pay more attention to their oral health. These patients were also about four times (OR=4.4, 95% CI = 1.9-10.2) more likely to have visited or planned to visit their dentist. Conclusion: Obstetric provider advice can have a positive impact on awareness of oral health in pregnant women. Time should be afforded within obstetric curriculums to address oral health conditions in pregnant patientS. Further research should be done to determine how best to address this issue to improve oral health care throughout pregnancy.