Kamalabadi Yasaman Mohammadi, Campbell M Karen, Gratton Robert, Athanasakos Alexia, Haddad Myriam, Jessani Abbas
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Front Oral Health. 2024 Oct 23;5:1485815. doi: 10.3389/froh.2024.1485815. eCollection 2024.
Unfavorable beliefs about oral health and dental treatment during pregnancy can lead to the avoidance of dental care and the underutilization of dental services, adversely affecting adherence to good oral hygiene practices and, consequently, the health of the fetus. This study investigated the commonly held oral health beliefs among pregnant women in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.
Participants were recruited from the Family Medicine Obstetrics Clinic in London, Ontario, Canada. Eligible participants were pregnant women aged 18 or older, excluding those unwilling to participate. Participants completed a 33-item self-administered questionnaire, including three open-ended questions about oral health beliefs and their impacts on pregnancy, which were analyzed for this study. Thematic analysis in NVivo identified key patterns, while analysis determined the most common beliefs and the degree of diversity in responses. Responses were categorized into sub-themes, and the frequency and percentage of each category were calculated.
A total of 130 participants met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 40.7% ( = 46) believed that oral health impacts their child's health, 48.2% ( = 53) believed that dental treatment affects fetal health, and 64.4% ( = 76) believed that pregnancy influences their oral health. Many beliefs regarding oral health during pregnancy regarded infection risks. Participants held negative beliefs about the effects of antibiotics, analgesics, and dental x-rays during pregnancy. Common beliefs about the impacts of pregnancy on oral health included developing conditions, such as tooth sensitivity, caries, and gingivitis, as well as a loss of minerals to the fetus.
This study revealed important misconceptions and concerns about oral health and dental treatment among pregnant women in Southwestern Ontario. The findings highlighted the need for enhanced oral health education for pregnant women to address these misconceptions and promote proper care during pregnancy. Healthcare providers are encouraged to focus on dispelling myths, emphasizing the safety of necessary dental treatments, and reinforcing the significance of maintaining good oral health for maternal and fetal well-being.
对孕期口腔健康和牙科治疗的负面看法可能导致孕妇回避牙科护理，减少牙科服务的使用，这对坚持良好的口腔卫生习惯产生不利影响，进而影响胎儿健康。本研究调查了加拿大安大略省西南部孕妇中普遍存在的口腔健康观念。
研究对象从加拿大安大略省伦敦市的家庭医学妇产科诊所招募。符合条件的参与者为18岁及以上的孕妇，不愿意参与的孕妇除外。参与者完成了一份包含33个项目的自填式问卷，其中包括三个关于口腔健康观念及其对怀孕影响的开放式问题，本研究对这些问题进行了分析。在NVivo中进行主题分析以确定关键模式，同时通过分析确定最常见的观念以及回答的多样性程度。回答被归类为子主题，并计算每个类别的频率和百分比。
共有130名参与者符合纳入标准。其中，40.7%（n = 46）认为口腔健康会影响孩子的健康，48.2%（n = 53）认为牙科治疗会影响胎儿健康，64.4%（n = 76）认为怀孕会影响她们的口腔健康。许多关于孕期口腔健康的观念都涉及感染风险。参与者对孕期使用抗生素、镇痛药和牙科X线检查的影响持负面看法。关于怀孕对口腔健康影响的常见观念包括出现牙齿敏感、龋齿和牙龈炎等情况，以及胎儿矿物质流失。
本研究揭示了安大略省西南部孕妇对口腔健康和牙科治疗存在的重要误解和担忧。研究结果凸显了加强对孕妇口腔健康教育的必要性，以消除这些误解并促进孕期的适当护理。鼓励医疗保健提供者专注于消除误解，强调必要牙科治疗的安全性，并强化保持良好口腔健康对母婴健康的重要性。
