Kim Boggess|Diana M. Urlaub|Katie E. Massey|Merry-K Moos|Matthew B. Matheson|Carol Lorenz
Oral Hygiene Practices and Dental Service Utilization Among Pregnant Women
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
background daily oral hygiene regular dental visits important components oral health care authorsapos objective study examine womenaposs oral hygiene practices use dental services pregnancy methods authors developed written oral health questionnaire administered 599 pregnant women collected demographic information well data oral hygiene practices use dental services pregnancy used 2 boggess ka society maternalfetal medicine publications committee maternal oral health pregnancy obstet gynecol 2008 111 976986 crossref pubmed scopus 65 google scholar multivariable logistic regression models assess associations oral hygiene practice dental service use pregnancy identify maternal predictor variables results 599 participants 83 percent n 497 reported brushing twice per day twentyfour percent n 141 reported flossing least daily hispanic women likely floss white african american women 28 percent 52 183 versus 22 percent 54 248 versus 19 percent 23 121 respectively p 001 seventyfour percent n 442 participants reported received routine dental care pregnancy hispanic women significantly less likely black white women receive routine dental care pregnancy 13 percent versus 21 percent versus 36 percent respectively p 001 authors found older 36 years hispanic race ethnicity annual income less 30000 flossing infrequently receiving dental care pregnant significantly associated lack routine dental care pregnancy adjusted odds ratios 95 percent confidence intervals 256 133492 219 111429 202 112365 186 113307 435 25769 respectively womanaposs lack receiving routine dental care pregnant significant predictor lack receiving dental care pregnancy conclusion racial ethnic economic disparities related oral hygiene practices dental service utilization pregnancy exist clinical implications medical dental care providers treat women reproductive age pregnant women need develop policy strategies address populationaposs access barriers use dental care services