Educating pregnant women and their children on oral hygiene

Abstract

Problem Statement: The lack of oral health education in pregnant women and their children is an overarching concern and the implementation of specific educationalbased programs may provide improvements in this population. Purpose: This project focuses on information collected about the knowledge pregnant women, mothers, and their children have around the benefits of establishing a good oral hygiene routine. Methods: A review of national data using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) databases and eight journal articles was performed to assess the oral health resources and needs of pregnant women, mothers, and their children. Results: There is a lack of knowledge regarding pregnant women, their oral health and the oral health of their child/children. Many oral changes are seen during pregnancy that include gingivitis, gingival hyperplasia, salivary changes, and pyogenic granulomas. In pregnant women, gingivitis, an early stage of periodontal disease, may be aggravated by changing hormones during pregnancy. Women of childbearing age have an increased risk for untreated cavities. Children of mothers who have high levels of untreated cavities or tooth loss are more likely to have cavities. Conclusions: Suggestions for programs to expand and educate multiple women and their children’s oral health knowledge would be through daily classes that could be offered in community centers. Additional information could also be gathered from different income levels to see if there are further discrepancies regarding oral health within pregnant women, mothers, and their children in order to expand on these educational programs.