Oral Health Complaints in Pregnant Women Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in Mumbai, India: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy results in a lot of changes within the oral cavity, and recent reports have suggested an association between dental issues and poor pregnancy outcomes. Although many studies indicate that dental procedures can be carried out safely on pregnant patients to alleviate pain and promote better oral health, dental health is not given importance in pregnancy mainly due to fear and misconceptions that dental care can adversely affect the foetus. Aim: To summarise the dental presenting complaints and clinical examination findings of pregnant women and to evaluate the proportion of those compliant with the respective dental treatment services recommended by the dentist. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective observational study analysing data pertaining to all pregnant patients who reported to the Department of Dentistry at Seth G.S. Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital in Maharashtra, India between December 2017 and September 2018. There was no formal sample size estimation, and all eligible patients’ data available in the department registry, which was maintained as part of routine clinical care, were analysed. A structured Case Record Form (CRF) was used to collect demographic and clinical data from these registers, and descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. Results: The mean±Standard Deviation (SD) age of study sample was 27.69±4.584 years. A total of 81 patients’ data were included for the analysis. The most common presenting complaint and examination finding were pain and dental caries, respectively. The most common treatment plan suggested and performed was medication, followed by extraction. The number of patients who followed up was 37 (45.67%). Conclusion: Pain and carious tooth were the most common presenting complaint and examination finding, respectively. The proportion of patients who came for follow-up was not adequate, warranting enhanced awareness activities to reduce stigma over dental care during pregnancy.

Keywords

• abdominal pregnancy
• awareness
• dental health service
• oral hygiene
• patient compliance