Oral health among antenatal care attendees in Calabar, Nigeria.

The objective of this study is to determine the oral health habits, awareness, oral health education and treatment needs among pregnant women who attend the antenatal clinics at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. A total of 252 women at different stages of pregnancy responded to an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Of those, 238 (94.4%) of the respondents used toothbrush and toothpaste for oral cleaning, while 12 (4.8%) used a combination of toothbrush/toothpaste and local chewing sticks. Two (0.8%) adhered to the use of chewing sticks only. A total of 34 (13.5%) respondents were aware of and used dental services while pregnant; 18 (52.9%) of those who presented with dental complaints during pregnancy had bleeding gums. Based on the level of awareness of the need to attend a dental clinic during pregnancy (26.2%) and the percentage of respondents willing to have a dental examination during pregnancy (83.3%), it is recommended that oral health education be incorporated into the antenatal counselling of pregnant women in Nigeria.