Oral Health Practices Among Indigenous Mothers and Young Children (0-36 Months) in Northwest Territories, Canada.

OBJECTIVES

Early oral hygiene and care help prevent early childhood caries (ECC). As remote Indigenous communities in Canada have limited access to dental care, this project explores Indigenous women's oral hygiene practices during and after pregnancy and in regard to children (0-36 months) within three communities in Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada.

METHODS

A mixed-methods study design was employed. Self-identifying Indigenous women who were pregnant or had given birth within the 3 years preceding data collection (2019) were invited to complete a semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

156 Indigenous women participated. Of participants who gave birth in the last 3 years (n = 145), 78.8% started brushing infants' teeth/gums. Of participants whose infants had teeth (n = 114), 27.9% had taken the infant to a dentist. Factors impacting infant oral hygiene practices included personal experiences, access to supplies, and health literacy. Among pregnant participants (n = 28), 38.5% had visited a dentist during pregnancy. Among participants who had given birth within 3 years (n = 145), 67.9% had since seen a dentist. Factors impacting dental care utilization during pregnancy included service availability and safety concerns. After giving birth, factors included service availability and competing priorities.

CONCLUSIONS

Within Indigenous communities in NWT, inaccessible oral health care, information, and supplies made it challenging for mothers to meet oral health recommendations during and after pregnancy and in regard to young children. The findings of this project suggest the need for long-term, collaborative strategies focused on increasing the availability and accessibility of dental care professionals and services within communities and improving oral health literacy via culturally appropriate and collaboratively developed informational initiatives.