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The oral health status, practices and knowledge of pregnant women in south‐western Sydney
Author(s) -
George A,
Johnson M,
Blinkhorn A,
Ajwani S,
Bhole S,
Yeo AE,
Ellis S
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australian dental journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1834-7819
pISSN - 0045-0421
DOI - 10.1111/adj.12024
Subject(s) - medicine , oral health , pregnancy , family medicine , oral health care , dental insurance , cross sectional study , dental health , obstetrics , environmental health , genetics , pathology , biology
Background Current evidence highlights the importance of oral health during pregnancy. However, little is known about the oral health of pregnant women in Australia. The aim of this study was to report the oral health status, knowledge and practices of pregnant women in south‐western Sydney. Methods A cross‐sectional survey of 241 pregnant women attending a large hospital in south‐western Sydney. Results More than half (59.3%) reported dental problems during pregnancy, less than a third (30.5%) saw a dentist in the last six months, only 10% had received any information about perinatal oral health and many (>50%) were unaware of the potential impact of poor maternal oral health on pregnancy and infant outcomes. Analysis revealed a significant difference (<0.05) in the uptake of dental services among pregnant women who had higher household incomes, private health insurance, received information about perinatal oral health and knowledge about maternal oral health. Conclusions The participants reported significant barriers to obtaining dental care including limited access to affordable dental services and lack of awareness about the importance of maternal oral health. The findings suggest the need for preventive strategies involving dentists and antenatal providers to improve maternal oral health in Australia.