ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the extent of bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth and the level of oral hygiene and caries prevalence among pregnant women. Material and Methods: Random samples of pregnant women attending eight public health centers were examined. Their periodontal and caries statuses were examined using the Community Periodontal Index, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index and DMF-T. The good criteria of OHI-S ranged from 0 to 1.2, the fair from 1.3 to 3.0 and the poor from 3.1 to 6.0. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the absolute and relative frequencies. Results: 84.7% had caries and the DMF-T index score was 4.34 (fair). 73% suffered gingival bleeding, 34% with 4-5 mm pocket depth, 2% with 6 mm or deeper pocket depth, while the majority had good oral hygiene. The prevalence of 4-5 mm probing pocket depth increased between the first and second trimesters (12.1% to 48.5%), before undergoing a slight decrease in the third trimester (39.4%). Gingival bleeding was found to be most prevalent in the third trimester. Pocket depth of 4-5 mm was found to be highest in the second trimester. Pocket depth of 6 mm or more was restricted to the third trimester. Oral hygiene scores increased in tandem with gestational age. Conclusion: The majority had caries, which strongly suggests that the awareness of the pregnant women regarding their oral hygiene remains limited.