Pregnant Women's Awareness of Periodontal Disease Effects: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background/objectives: Periodontal disease is an infection of the surrounding and supporting tissues of the teeth. Several associations have been identified for systemic conditions. This study aimed to assess the awareness of pregnant women regarding the link between premature and low-weight births with periodontal diseases.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we collected data from the target participants through the Pregnant Women's Periodontal Awareness Questionnaire, employing a convenience sampling technique between November and December 2023. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics. The statistical significance of all estimations was set at a p-value of ≤0.05.

Results: Most participants were ≥31 years of age (210 participants; 67.3%). The percentage of pregnancies occurring in women who were multigravida was 69.6%. Only 29.5% of the participants were knowledgeable about low-weight and premature births with periodontal diseases. The findings indicate an association between the education level and trimester (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Pregnant women's awareness regarding periodontal disease is low, and one-third of them do not visit dental clinics during pregnancy. Expanding access to dental care and reducing anxiety about treatment outcomes can strengthen the relationship between oral health and general health.

Keywords: awareness; health education; oral health; pregnant women; questionnaire; women’s health.

Figure 1

Participants’ stage of pregnancy.