Oral Hygiene Practices, Perceptions, and Integration of Oral Health into Prenatal Care Among Pregnant Women Attending of a Private Dental College

Mannan, Huda; Ahmed, Anam; Ahsan, Nafiz; Shanta, Kamrun Nahar; Tamij, Nusrat; Islam, Md. Nurul; Hasan, Md. Mahmudul

doi:10.5281/zenodo.17750251

Published July 2022 | Version v1

Journal article Open

Oral Hygiene Practices, Perceptions, and Integration of Oral Health into Prenatal Care Among Pregnant Women Attending of a Private Dental College

1. Assistant Professor, Department of Pedodontics, University Dental College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2. Associate Professor (CC), Department of Dental Public Health, University Dental College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
3. Phase :B (Resident) Department of Prosthodontics. BMU, Shahabag Dhaka.
4. Associate Professor (CC), Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, University Dental College, Dhaka,
5. Lecturer, Department of Prosthodontics, University Dental College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
6. Associate Professor, Department of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, Saphena Women's Dental College, Malibagh Dhaka.
7. Lecturer, Department of Dental Anatomy, University Dental College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Contributors

Contact person:

Mannan, Huda¹

1. Assistant Professor, Department of Pedodontics, University Dental College & Hospital, Dhaka. Bangladesh. Email: tonnydr01@gmail.com

Abstarct

Background: Oral health during pregnancy is increasingly recognized as critical to both maternal and child well-being. Despite known associations between poor oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes, many women have suboptimal oral hygiene practices and limited dental care utilization, particularly in developing settings.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study surveyed among 240 pregnant women at the dental outpatient department of University Dental College between 2017 and 2018. Data were collected via a purposive sample using an interview- administered, semi-structured questionnaire covering demographics, oral health perceptions, habits, practices, self-reported oral conditions, access to care, and integration of oral health within prenatal visits.
Results: The average participant was aged 25–30 years; 45.0% had completed graduation. Only 35.0 % of the respondents used the recommended frequency of twice daily toothbrushing whereas 20.4 % flossed once per day despite the fact that 85.8 % of them considered oral health as essential. Most people reported dental issues such as bleeding gums (33.3 %) and bad breath (21.7 %). The number of persons who had a regular dental appointment before the pregnancy was about 65.4 % whilst the one who availed dental after checkup during the pregnancy was 81.3 %. Only 28.8 percent of pregnant women talked about oral health during prenatal consultation. In addition, 65.0 % of the respondents were aware of the relationship between oral health and pregnancy outcomes.
Conclusion: There are substantial gaps between awareness, practice, and professional care utilization among pregnant women in Dhaka. The low integration of oral health education and screening in conventional prenatal practice and a culture of misconception in relation to the safety of dental practice during pregnancy hinder effective maternal healthcare. Multifaceted interventions—including enhanced provider training, patient education, and clear referral pathways—are urgently needed to improve maternal oral health and related pregnancy outcomes.