Acta Scientific Dental Sciences (ASDS)(ISSN: 2581-4893)

Research Article Volume 5 Issue 9

Maternal Awareness and Knowledge of Proper Oral Health during Pregnancy and Post-Delivery and Caries Transmission to their Children

Gisela Berenstein Ajzman1*, Myriam Shalom2, Offer Erez3, Cohen Ornit4 and Uri Zilberman2

1Pediatric Dentistry Department, Goldshlager Dental School, Tel Aviv University, Israel
2Pediatric Dentistry Department, Barzilai University Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel
3Director (Director Maternity "D" and Obstetrical Day Care Unit, Obstetrics and Gynecology Division), Soroka University Medical Center, Israel
4Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel

*Corresponding Author: Gisela Berenstein Ajzman, Pediatric Dentistry Department, Goldshlager Dental School, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Received: June 24, 2021; Published: August 10, 2021

Abstract

Background: Maternal knowledge and awareness may play an essential positive role in the prevention of early childhood caries (ECC) that bears significant risks and even life-threatening infections. Therefore, improving maternal knowledge and practice of oral health during pregnancy may result in lower risks of ECC in toddlers and children.

Aims: To explore post-partum maternal knowledge and awareness of caries and its prevention and elucidate the association between sociodemographic variables and this knowledge.

Design: This survey cohort study of a questionnaire regarding maternal knowledge on oral health habits included 100 parturients at the Soroka University Medical Center, during 2015. 

Results: Mothers had good oral health care habits; however, these habits did not correlate with knowledge and awareness about caries prevention. About 60% of the mothers did not know that caries is a contagious disease. Only 10% of the mothers were referred to a dental check-up during the year prior to delivery. Mothers with academic education had better knowledge than others (p = 0.029). Mothers who gave birth for the first time had significantly less knowledge than experienced ones (p = 0.002). 

Conclusion: Maternal knowledge on oral health hygiene’s is related to her level of education and parity. Therefore, it is necessary to initiate an educational program for pregnant women to promote oral health care and nutritional recommendation to improve caries prevention in children. 

Keywords: Dental Caries; Oral Health Care; Mother's Education; Pregnancy; Post-Partum

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Citation

Citation: Gisela Berenstein Ajzman., et al. “Maternal Awareness and Knowledge of Proper Oral Health during Pregnancy and Post-Delivery and Caries Transmission to their Children”. Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 5.9 (2021): 60-67.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2021 Gisela Berenstein Ajzman., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.




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