Oral Health Habits and Behavior During Pregnancy

Objectives: To assess oral health habits and behavior of pregnant women attending a university prenatal clinic in Columbus Ohio. Methods: A sample of 200 pregnant women was recruited from the University prenatal clinic. The particpants completed a self-administered, structured questionare which gathered information about the oral health habits, utilization of dental services during pregnancy, and self-perception of the overall health of their mouth. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The majority (59%) of the participants were age 25 and under. African Americans accounted for 58% of the subjects and non-Hispanic Whites accounted for 40%. Most women (80%) reported that Medicade was the source of payment for their dental and prenatal care, and 50% indicated they were unemployed at the time of the study. Less than half of the subjects (39%) reported smoking before they became pregnant, but not during pregnancy, while 30% reported smoking during pregnancy. The majority of women (57%) brushed their teeth twice a day and 67% indicated that they have never used floss. 56% of the subjects rated the overall health of their mouth to be fair/poor, and the majority (70%) reported receiving no councel on oral health during pregnancy. Most women (80%) had not sought dental care during pregnancy; of those seeking care, 30% were in need of emergency care. Access to dental care was not reported to be a problem during pregnancy by 69% of the participants. For those with difficulties accessing needed dental services, lack of insurance was cited as the most common reason. Conclusion: The results of this study suggests a need to develop targeted intervention programs aimed at improving oral health of pregnant women.