Evaluation of Gynecologists' Awareness About Oral Health Condition During Pregnancy in Chennai City

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and practiced behaviors of gynecologists regarding oral health during pregnancy and association of periodontal disease with adverse pregnancy outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted among 200 gynecologists. A self-structured, close-ended questionnaire containing 22 questions was prepared. The principal investigator approached the gynecologists personally and distributed the questionnaire after obtaining their informed consent. RESULTS: Of the 200 gynecologists approached, 200 filled the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 100%. The majority (87%) acknowledged a connection between oral health and pregnancy and 63% agreed that periodontal disease can affect the outcome of pregnancy. However, only 60% gynecologists advise major/minor surgery during pregnancy, and many of them (74%) said that second trimester is the safe period for dental treatment. Almost three-quarters of the participants (79%) regarded dental radiograph and more than half (74%) considered administration of local anesthesia to be unsafe during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that gynecologists have a relatively certain level of knowledge regarding oral health status during pregnancy and the relationship of periodontal disease to pregnancy outcomes. However, there clearly exist misconceptions regarding the provision of dental treatment during pregnancy. To provide better oral health care, more knowledge needs to be made available to the pregnant women and medical community, mainly to the gynecologists who are primary health-care providers for pregnant women, and misconception regarding the types of dental treatments during pregnancy should be clarified.