Oral health status during pregnancy and evaluation of a maternal oral screening tool: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy is associated with several transient hormonal changes that not only affect the patient's health but also their relations with others in their surroundings. The alterations in the hormonal levels may affect the oral as well as systemic health of the individual during pregnancy. The present study aimed to evaluate oral health during pregnancy using a maternal oral screening (MOS) tool.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This multicenter, cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted in the Gynaecology outpatient department after obtaining Ethical clearance from the Institutional Ethics Committee. The total sample size was 100 pregnant women who were selected in a random manner. The oral health of pregnant female subjects was assessed using a "14-item" OHIP questionnaire along with clinical oral examination. The study data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS version 20.0 (IBM, NY, US). Descriptive statistics data were observed as mean, standard deviation (SD), and percentages. Statistical association evaluation was done by the "Chi-square" statistical tool. 'P' values lower than 0.05 were statistically significant.

RESULTS

On analyzing the MOS tool, 23.1% had dental problems, whereas 54% visited a dentist during the past year. 34% subjects were "at risk" of poor oral health. The analytical tools reported high sensitivity (75-90%) and low specificity (13-18%) of the MOS tool for the detection of pregnant women who are at risk of developing poor oral health. On comparing the MOS tool with OHIP-14, Item 1 of MOS demonstrated the highest sensitivity (84.3%), whereas Item 2 demonstrated only 52.2% specificity. On combining item numbers 1 and 2, sensitivity was found to increase up to 95.7% but a decrease in specificity was noted. On comparing the MOS tool and clinical oral/dental examination, combining items 1 and 2 resulted in the highest sensitivity (97.2%). On combining items 1 and 2 of the MOS tool, low specificity (12%) for dental assessment and OHIP-14 (17.1%) was obtained.

CONCLUSION

The MOS tool can be used for evaluating the oral health status in pregnant females. The present study highlights the importance of conserving oral health during pregnancy.