Self-reported periodontal conditions among Dutch women during pregnancy

A Survey of Lithuanian Pregnant Women's Knowledge about Periodontal Disease, Its Prevalence and Possible Influence on Pregnancy Outcomes

Background: This study aimed to subjectively assess the changes in the oral health status of pregnant women, to find out their attitudes and knowledge about possible changes in the oral cavity that occurred during pregnancy, and their influence on the outcomes of pregnancy. Methods: 112 pregnant women who visited the Republican Siauliai Hospital during their pregnancy participated in the study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was used to conduct the research, surveying their demographic characteristics, oral health changes and habits during pregnancy, and awareness of possible negative pregnancy outcomes. Results: The study involved 112 pregnant women, with 35 in the first trimester, 28 in the second, and 48 in the third trimester. The findings revealed that pregnant women do not take sufficient care of their oral health: more than half of the respondents did not visit an oral care specialist during pregnancy; 22.3% of women reported brushing their teeth only once a day or less; and 35.7% did not clean interdental surfaces at all. Statistically, significantly more urban women believed there is a relationship between maternal oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes than women living in rural areas (p = 0.013). While significant oral health changes were not observed in the first trimester, more women in the second and third trimesters reported issues such as bleeding gums, swelling, plaque accumulation, tartar, and caries (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The attitude of women towards oral health during pregnancy and their understanding of the possible risks for unfavorable pregnancy outcomes are insufficient. Notably, oral health issues become more prominent in the second and third trimesters, necessitating appropriate oral care to reduce the incidence of oral and dental diseases during pregnancy. This underscores the importance of educational and preventive public health policies focused on oral care for pregnant women, aimed at increasing awareness and promoting practices that safeguard both maternal and fetal health.

Oral Irrigation Devices: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVES

Self-performed oral hygiene is essential for preventing dental caries, periodontal, and peri-implant diseases. Oral irrigators are adjunctive oral home care aids that may benefit oral health. However, the effects of oral irrigation on oral health, its role in oral home care, and its mechanism of action are not fully understood. A comprehensive search of the literature revealed no existing broad scoping reviews on oral irrigators. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive systematic review of the literature on oral irrigation devices and identify evidence gaps.

METHODS

The Joanna Briggs Institute and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines were utilized to prepare the review. Four databases and eight gray literature sources were searched for English publications across any geographical location or setting.

RESULTS

Two hundred and seventy-five sources were included, predominantly from scientific journals and academic settings. Most studies originated from North America. Research primarily involved adults, with limited studies in children and adolescents. Oral irrigation was safe and well-accepted when used appropriately. It reduced periodontal inflammation, potentially by modulating the oral microbiota, but further research needs to clarify its mechanism of action. Promising results were reported in populations with dental implants and special needs. Patient acceptance appeared high, but standardized patient-reported outcome measures were rarely used. Anti-inflammatory benefits occurred consistently across populations and irrigant solutions. Plaque reduction findings were mixed, potentially reflecting differences in study designs and devices.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral irrigators reduce periodontal inflammation, but their impact on plaque removal remains unclear. Well-designed, sufficiently powered trials of appropriate duration need to assess the clinical, microbiological, and inflammatory responses of the periodontium to oral irrigation, particularly those with periodontitis, dental implants, and special needs. Patient-reported outcome measures, costs, caries prevention, and environmental impact of oral irrigation need to be compared to other oral hygiene aids.

[Treatment strategy for pregnancy epulis]

Pregnancy epulis is a tumor-like lesion with high prevalence in China. The local lesion, the general condition of the pregnant patient, and the complications during treatment should be taken into consideration when making a treatment plan for pregnancy epulis. In this study, three representative pregnancy epulis cases were presented, and related studies at home and aboard were reviewed to summarize the etiology, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of pregnancy epulis and share the clinical experience in the treatment of pregnancy epulis.

Self-reported and clinical periodontal conditions in a group of Eastern European postpartum women

Periodontitis is a highly prevalent condition leading to a continuous destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. It increases the risk for various systemic diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, screening for periodontitis is important. Screening measures can range from self-reported symptoms to clinical full-mouth periodontal examination. The hypothesis of our study was that self-reported parameters and clinical definition perform equally well in identifying periodontitis patients. The aim of this study was to develop, validate its internal consistency, and evaluate a self-reported instrument against periodontal clinical evaluation for diagnosis of periodontitis in a group of postpartum women, as well as to describe their periodontal status and the risk factors associated with periodontal disease. A cross-sectional study on postpartum women was conducted in a tertiary university hospital, from April 2018 to March 2019. Sociodemographic and behavioral data, periodontal clinical parameters, and self-reported periodontal perception were collected. A 16-item questionnaire was developed to obtain information about perceived periodontal alterations and oral hygiene habits. The utility of the questionnaire was tested against a periodontal diagnosis based on a full-mouth periodontal examination. The questionnaire was applied in 215 postpartum women aged 29.16±5.54 years (mean age (y) ± standard deviation) having the following periodontal status: 16 individuals without periodontal disease (7.44%), 32 individuals with gingivitis (14.88%), 19 individuals with mild periodontitis (8.84%), 132 individuals with moderate periodontitis (61.39%), and 16 individuals with severe periodontitis (7.44%). A significant association was observed between oral hygiene score, smoking status, and periodontal conditions (p<0.05). A significant association between the self-reported items related to “gum swelling”, “halitosis”, “previous periodontal diagnosis” and “previous periodontal treatment” with clinical periodontitis have been identified (p<0.05). Using self-reported questionnaires for detection of periodontal disease was ineffective in our studied population, since self-reported parameters and clinical definition do not appear to perform equally in identifying periodontitis cases. Clinical periodontal examination remains the gold standard for screening. Periodontitis was frequent in our group and the severity was significantly associated with the oral hygiene score and smoking. These results underline the necessity for periodontal clinical examination during pregnancy.

Sociodemographic Differences in Health Awareness and Oral Health in Pregnant Women

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the present oral health status of pregnant women depending on selected sociodemographic differences and deduce any resulting consequences for health prevention.

Methods The participantsʼ data of relevance to the study such as age, school leaving qualification, migration background, smoking habits or last dentist visit were recorded using a questionnaire. The subsequent dental check-up concentrated on open carious lesions, any initiated root canal treatments and missing teeth. Finally, the Periodontal Screening Index was recorded to diagnose the presence of any gingivitis or periodontitis. The subsequent biometric evaluation comprised descriptive data analysis, χ2 test and logistical regression.

Results The higher the school leaving qualification, the lower the probability that a pregnant woman smoked prior to pregnancy (OR 0.291; 95% CI 0.114 – 0.743) and that tartar was diagnosed (OR 0.424; 95% CI 0.185 – 0.973). Regular dentist visits (OR 4.026; 95% CI 1.613 – 10.049) increase with the attained school leaving qualification. There is a greater chance that women born in Germany taking part in the study were aware of dental risks in pregnancy (OR 2.652; 95% CI 1.285 – 5.472) and attended the dentist during pregnancy (OR 2.507; 95% CI 1.281 – 4.907).

Conclusion The rate of awareness of the risks and consequences of pregnancy for oral health must be increased. The main aim for primary prophylaxis should be a reduction in the periodontal bacteria and caries of the mother and father.

Awareness of Dental Interns to Treat Pregnant Patients

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy causes major changes in maternal physiology and metabolism, which may lead to increased susceptibility to oral infection.

AIM

Aim of this study is to assess the awareness of dental interns regarding the management of the dental needs of pregnant patients.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 188 interns of a private dental college in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised of 14 knowledge-based questions regarding their training, awareness and practice management of the pregnant patient in dental clinics. Four questions to record and evaluate their training, the number of pregnant patients treated by them and their confidence level in the dental management of the pregnant patient. Excel spreadsheet was used for mathematical calculations.

RESULTS

Almost 62% of our participants never treated a pregnant female during their training. About 65% of the interns knew using antibiotics, almost 55% have a clear idea of the safest NSAIDS, and 43% regarded local anaesthesia to be safe when used among pregnant females. Conversely, about 50% of the participants had no clear knowledge of the FDA category of drugs. Only 24% considered dental radiographs to be safe in pregnant patients. 57% thought to postpone the dental treatment in an acute active dental infection in expecting mothers. Results also showed a lack of confidence among interns to provide dental care to gestating female.

CONCLUSION

On analysing the results, we found that there is a need to improve the knowledge, awareness and confidence levels among the interns who are the future dentists treating these patients.

A Retrospective Analysis of Radiographic Jaw Findings in Young Women; Prevalence and Predictors

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence and types of jaw pathologic findings as detected in panoramic radiographs of a sample of young women attending a teaching hospital in Al Madinah Al Munawarah, Saudi Arabia, and to determine the most important factors that predict the occurrence of jaw pathologic findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The electronic clinical files of a representative sample of female patients who attended the outpatient dental clinics were retrieved. Patients were aged 18 to 25 years. Types of pathologic radiographic jaw findings and their prevalence were determined through screening of panoramic radiographs. Data were analyzed using the statistical analysis software [SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp.)]. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the significance of some types of dental lesions as predictor variables for the occurrence of jaw pathologic findings.

RESULTS

A total of 190 patients (mean age, 22.4 ± 2.46 years) were included in the study. Periapical lesions, retained roots, and alveolar bone loss were detected in 53.6%, 24.8%, and 17.4% of the participants, respectively. Other odontogenic abnormalities such as supernumerary and impacted teeth (6.4% and 33.7%, respectively) were also detected. Patients' age was found to be a good predictor for alveolar bone loss and number of periapical lesions (P ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A high prevalence of periapical lesions, retained roots, and alveolar bone loss was found among a sample of young female dental attendees, as shown by their panoramic radiographs. Further studies are needed to explore potential risk factors for such a noticeable trend of poor oral health, and the needed strategies to counteract this trend.