The Oral Health Status in Pregnant Women Referred to Tabriz Dental School and Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital During 2019

Abstract

The oral health of pregnant mothers is one of the factors affecting both maternal and infants’ health. Regarding the poor culture of oral hygiene among the pregnant women and the need for appropriate strategies in this area, it is necessary to have sufficient information about the oral hygiene status of pregnant women in target population. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the oral health status of pregnant women referred to Alzahra teaching hospital and Dental School of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences during 2019.

Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study was performed over a number of 60 pregnant women who were referred to Alzahra teaching hospital and Dental School of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences during 2019. For each sample, a checklist including demographic information and oral examinations was completed. Oral examinations included Oral Health Index- Simplified (OHI-S), Gingival Index (GI) and Plaque Index (PI). Finally, linear and logistic regression models were performed to investigate the relationships between the study variables. Results: In this study, 60 pregnant women were studied, of which 25% never went to a dentist to visit and 10% were not using toothbrush. Their OHI-S index was 1.08 (0 - 3.33), PI index was 1 (0-3) and GI index was 1.98 0 0.90. Also, 80% had gingivitis. There was a significant relationship between PI index and the residence place of samples. 88.3% of pregnant women were using toothbrushes, 26.7% brine, 18.3% dental floss and 5% mouthwashes. There was a significant relationship between the mothers’ level of education and their occupied device for oral hygiene and the users of brine reported a better GI index. Conclusion: The results of current study indicated that pregnant women do not have a good oral hygiene status, which is more evident among the women of lower social levels with lower education.