| ORAL HEALTH AND ORAL HEALTH CARE PRACTICES IN PREGNANT WOMEN - AN URBAN PERSPECTIVE
1SHABNAM NADEEM, 2ANJUM AFSHAN, 3FARHAT JAFRI
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The
objective of this study was to describe the oral health status and
oral health practices among pregnant women in the urban population
of Karachi and to determine the need for oral health care education
in this population.
Material & Methods: This study was a descriptive,
cross sectional study conducted at department of Gynae & Obstetrics
unit IV Sobhraj Maternity Hospital from 1st November2011 to 31st
July2012. This study examined oral health status and oral health
care practices by age, parity, ethnicity, education level by using
a specifically designed questionnaire from a convenience sample
of 507 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at Sobhraj
Maternity Hospital.
Results: A total of 507 participants were recruited
during the study period. Most participants were young multigravida,
age ranging between 23 and 27 years ,belonging to Urdu speaking
and Sindhi ethnicity. It was seen that 24.9% were reported to be
having good oral health. Multigravida, illiterate women had poor
oral health status. 46.9% were advised to improve oral hygiene.
38.1% were referred to dentist. Dental caries and gingivitis were
the common conditions for these dental referrals. 51.7% of women
were advised proper dental cleansing. Urdu speaking and Sindhi ethnic
group had better oral hygiene but they were more significant users
of pan/ chalya/ gutka than others (P = 0.011).
Conclusion: This study highlights the poor oral
health status of the older multigravidas and the alarmingly high
consumption of pan/chalya/gutka among the young Urdu speaking and
Sindhi pregnant population. The healthcare providers should include
oral health screening and education of these women as part of antenatal
care.
Keywords: pregnancy, oral health
|
