Oral-health awareness among pregnant women in the region of Republika Srpska

Summary Introduction Oral diseases during pregnancy are an important reason for enhanced dental care of this vulnerable population. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of oral health awareness among pregnant women and examine their oral hygiene habits, attitudes and behaviors in relation to the professional qualification. Material and methods The study was conducted in Foča, East Sarajevo, Bijeljina and Pale (Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina). A total of 198 respondents voluntarily filled an anonymous survey, specially created for this research. Results In addition to toothbrush and toothpaste, 39.8% of pregnant women did not use any additional oral hygiene resources. When brushing their teeth, 60.1% of pregnant women had bleeding gums. Also, 54.1% of pregnant women visited dentist, while 34.3% did not. Obstetrician did not advise 69.7% of respondents that the should visit dentist during pregnancy. Furthermore, 80.8% of pregnant women thought that they were more susceptible to pregnancy caries, and 29.6% of them thought that caries is disease that cannot be prevented. Respondents with university education understood that minerals from the mother’s teeth were not lost during pregnancy, which was statistically significant compared to pregnant women with secondary education. Conclusion The level of oral health awareness of pregnant women is low. It is important that all women perform regular dental examination during pregnancy, as they will receive useful information from their dentist how to prevent oral diseases.