Knowledge and attitudes of dentists regarding the oral health of pregnant women.

Abstract

Objective: to describe the knowledge and attitudes of dentists regarding the oral health care to pregnant women in prenatal dental care. Material and Methods: this was a cross-sectional, census, and descriptive research, which applied a form with objective questions to dentists working in the primary health care of the urban area of the city of Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, in 2015. Results: twenty-nine dentists were interviewed, and, by the results, it was possible to identify that 20.7% were not encouraged to pay attention to the oral health of pregnant women during their graduation. Regarding knowledge, 82.8% pointed the second trimester as the best time for care; 24.1% indicate that teeth become weaker during this period. In addition, most had knowledge on controversial issues, such as the possibility of using dental anesthesia (93.1%) and radiography (69%). Concerning attitudes and practices in primary health care, 31% of the dentists did not discuss the importance of prenatal dental care with the team. Conclusion: the knowledge of the dentists was inconsistent in some important aspects, which may hinder the dialogue with pregnant women and other members of the health team. Actions on oral health education and on awareness of the importance of prenatal dental care require trained dentists, who can contribute to improve the comprehensive care of pregnant women.

Keywords

• conhecimento
• atitudes e prática em saúde
• gestantes
• saúde bucal