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. 2018 Oct 22;18(1):170.
doi: 10.1186/s12903-018-0628-x.

Dental caries experience and associated risk indicators among Palestinian pregnant women in the Jerusalem area: a cross-sectional study

Elham Kateeb  1   2   3 , Elizabeth Momany  4
Affiliations

Dental caries experience and associated risk indicators among Palestinian pregnant women in the Jerusalem area: a cross-sectional study

Elham Kateeb et al. BMC Oral Health. .

Abstract

Background: This study described the dental caries experience of Palestinian pregnant women and examined its relationships to their oral health knowledge, beliefs, behavior, and access to dental care.

Methods: Pregnant women receiving prenatal care at the Ministry of Health (MOH) centers in the Jerusalem Governorate were invited to participate in this study. Structured interviews were conducted to assess pregnant mothers' beliefs about oral health care and their oral hygiene practices. Screening for mothers' dental caries experience was carried out using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth/Surfaces (DMFT/S) index. Univariate, bi-variate and multi-variable analysis were conducted to explain the high level of disease in this population.

Results: A total of 152 pregnant women participated in this study. Mean DMFT in this sample was 15.5 ± 4.5 and an average DMFS of 31.8 ± 21. According the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, 89% of our sample were categorized in the "Extremely High" dental caries experience. Fifty-eight percent of the DMFT scores among this sample were due to untreated dental decay, while 22% of the same DMFT scores demonstrated restorative care received by this sample. Bivariate analysis showed that mothers who completed a degree after high school had lower DMFT scores than mothers who did not (F = 4, n = 152, p = .024). In addition, mothers who believed they could lose a tooth just because they are pregnant had higher DMFT scores (t = - 4, n = 152, p = .037). The final model found that age, level of education, providers' advice on utilizing dental care during pregnancy, and the belief that a woman can lose a tooth just because she is pregnant explained 22% of the variation in DMFT scores.

Conclusions: Women in this study had a high prevalence of dental diseases and knew little about dental care during pregnancy. Faulty beliefs about dental care during pregnancy among women and health care providers were major factors in the high levels of disease.

Keywords: Access to care; Attitude; Beliefs; Dental caries; Knowledge; Pregnant.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors’ information

EK, BDS, MPH, PhD is an assistant professor of Dental Public Health at Al-Quds University and the Dean of Scientific Research there. EM, PhD is a research scientist at the Public Policy Center, the University of Iowa.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All aspect of this study was approved by Al-Quds University Scientific Research Ethics Committee. Participation was voluntary, and signed paper consent forms were collected from mothers who agreed to participate in this study. Consents for participants under the age of 18 were signed by their parents/guardians. All aspects of this study, including the consent forms, were approved by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of Al-Quds University. This study has been conducted in full accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A Conceptual Model Explaining the Relationships between the Study Variables
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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