Self-reported Oral Health Problems Among Pregnant Women

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the self-reported oral health problems experienced by Hong Kong women in early or mid-stage of pregnancy, and to explore factors associated with their oral health problems.Methods: Study participants were first-time pregnant women (10-22 gestation weeks) enrolled in a clinical trial on oral health promotion. At baseline, the participants were asked to report the oral health problems they experienced during pregnancy. Their oral health knowledge on the causes/prevention of dental caries/periodontal diseases (score 0-12) and attitude towards the importance of oral health and dental health beliefs (score 0-8) were assessed. Information on oral hygiene practices, dental attendance patterns, and socioeconomic background were also collected using the questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the association of these factors with the presence of oral health problems.Results: Among the 589 participants (mean age=31.1±4.0, mean gestation week=14.4±2.6), 453 (76.9%) reported having oral health problems. The most frequently mentioned problems were bleeding gums (37.3%), bad breath (35.3%), and sensitivity to hot or cold (30.1%). Regarding oral hygiene practices, 84.2% of the pregnant women maintained toothbrushing twice (or more) daily and 66.0% used additional oral hygiene aids. 39.4% of the participants had dental care service coverage and 46.9% were regular dental attenders. 42.6% of the pregnant women attended a dental check-up before pregnancy and 7.8% visited a dentist after they got pregnant. The mean oral health knowledge and attitude scores of the participants were 9.5 (SD 2.1) and 6.9 (SD 1.1) respectively. Multiple logistic regression showed that pregnant women with regular dental visit (OR=0.48, p<0.001) and more positive attitude score (OR=0.81, p=0.043) were less likely to experience the oral health problems.Conclusions: Experiencing oral health problems is common among women in early or mid-stage of pregnancy. Those who are regular dental attenders and having positive oral health attitude are less likely to experience oral health problems.