TY  - BOOK
AU  - Hullah, E.
AU  - Turok, Y.
AU  - Nauta, M.
AU  - Yoong, W.
TI  - Self-reported oral hygiene habits, dental attendance and attitudes to dentistry during pregnancy in a sample of immigrant women in North London
SN  - 09320067
PY  - 2008///
N1  - NMUH Staff Publications; 277
N2  - <p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>AIM</strong>:The aim of this study was to describe <span class="highlight">self-reported</span> <span class="highlight">oral</span> health, <span class="highlight">oral</span> <span class="highlight">hygiene</span> <span class="highlight">habits</span>, frequency of visits to a dentist and factors associated with <span class="highlight">dental</span> <span class="highlight">attendance</span> among pregnant <span class="highlight">women</span> at a <span class="highlight">North</span> <span class="highlight">London</span> Hospital, the majority of whom are immigrants.</span></span></p><h4 style="margin: 0px 0.25em 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; float: left; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">BACKGROUND:</span></h4><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Peridontal disease is associated with an increased risk of adverse <span class="highlight">pregnancy</span> outcomes. The aim of this study is to describe <span class="highlight">self-reported</span> <span class="highlight">oral</span> health, <span class="highlight">oral</span> <span class="highlight">hygiene</span> <span class="highlight">habits</span>, frequency of visits to a dentist and factors associated with<span class="highlight">dental</span> <span class="highlight">attendance</span> among pregnant <span class="highlight">women</span> at a <span class="highlight">North</span> <span class="highlight">London</span> Hospital, the majority of whom are immigrants.</span></p><h4 style="margin: 0px 0.25em 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; float: left; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">MATERIALS AND METHODS:</span></h4><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A questionnaire designed by the authors was completed by postnatal <span class="highlight">women</span> within 3 days of delivery. Data collected included past <span class="highlight">dental</span> <span class="highlight">attendance</span>, reasons for <span class="highlight">attendance</span> and information about age, parity and socio-economic group.</span></p><h4 style="margin: 0px 0.25em 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; float: left; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">RESULTS:</span></h4><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In total, 206 <span class="highlight">women</span> completed the questionnaires within 3 days of delivery; 74.2% of the mothers were not born in the UK and 38.3% were Black African. The mean age of was 28.19 +/- 6.07 years. The majority reported good <span class="highlight">oral</span> <span class="highlight">hygiene</span><span class="highlight">habits</span> such as brushing their teeth twice a day (73.7%) and using mouthwash (51%). However, their <span class="highlight">dental</span> <span class="highlight">attendance</span> was poor and the average time since their last visit to a dentist was 1.8 +/- 1.61 years. Over a third of the <span class="highlight">women</span> questioned did not know about the availability of free <span class="highlight">dental</span> care during <span class="highlight">pregnancy</span> and for 12 months after; 33% visited a dentist in <span class="highlight">pregnancy</span>and half of them needed and received treatment; 15% of mothers had more than one <span class="highlight">pregnancy</span> and yet were still unaware of free <span class="highlight">dental</span> care provided during <span class="highlight">pregnancy</span> and 12 months after birth. Only 36% of questioned <span class="highlight">women</span> regularly visited a dentist. <span class="highlight">Pregnancy</span> did little to change their <span class="highlight">attitudes</span> to <span class="highlight">dental</span> care. There appears no difference in <span class="highlight">attitudes</span> to <span class="highlight">dental</span> care between <span class="highlight">immigrant</span> and British born pregnant <span class="highlight">women</span>.</span></p><h4 style="margin: 0px 0.25em 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; float: left; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">CONCLUSION:</span></h4><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; line-height: 17.999801635742188px;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Efforts to improve the uptake of <span class="highlight">dental</span> care should be directed towards <span class="highlight">immigrant</span> groups in order to promote better maternal health. Further research is required into the provision of <span class="highlight">dental</span> care during <span class="highlight">pregnancy</span>, as the high level of non-<span class="highlight">attendance</span> demonstrated by mothers is undesirable.</span></span></p&gt
UR  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17940783
UR  - http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00404-007-0480-8.pdf
ER  -