Oral health behaviors and dental treatment during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study nested in a cohort in northeast Brazil

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate changes in oral health behavior and the use of dental health services during pregnancy. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study nested in a prospective cohort of pregnant women in the city of SÆo Luís, MA. A total of 262 women receiving prenatal care at the Mother-Infant University Hospital were interviewed, through a semi-structured questionnaire, regarding their use of dental services, type of dental treatment received, dietary habits, and oral hygiene before and during pregnancy. The Wilcoxon and McNemar tests (alpha=1%) were used to evaluate the differences in behavior before and during pregnancy. Results: Of the pregnant women evaluated, 33 women (12.6%) reported undergoing at least one dental consultation during their pregnancy. Of these women, 30 (11.4%) had at least one consultation during their first trimester, 10 (3.8%) during their second trimester, and 2 (0.8%) during their third trimester. Preventative and restorative treatments were the most common treatments. There were differences in the behaviors of women related to oral health before and during pregnancy. Subjects reported less frequent daily and post-meal tooth brushing and weekly dental floss and fluoridated mouthwash use during pregnancy compared to prepregnancy (p<0.001). They also reported eating more snacks (p<0.001) and meals (p=0.011) per day during pregnancy compared to prepregnancy. Only the habit of regular sugary food consumption did not vary significantly (p=0.169). Conclusion: There are behavioral changes during pregnancy that can cause dental caries and periodontal disease. Despite these concerns, dental health professionals are not adequately caring for pregnant women. Therefore, public policies incentivizing prenatal dental care are needed...