Implementing a Prenatal Oral Health Program in Dental Hygiene Curriculum

Purpose: Inadequate prenatal oral health education in dental hygiene (DH) curricula can negatively impact patient care by graduating clinicians lacking competence in the provision of care for this population. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, opinions, and willingness of DH students to provide oral care services to pregnant patients before and after participating in a prenatal oral health educational program (pOHP).Methods: Senior DH students were invited to complete a baseline and post-program survey to evaluate their experiences in the pOHP at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. All senior DH students attended a one-hour lecture on prenatal oral health guidelines and practices prior to their clinical rotation in the pOHP. Each survey consisted of items on knowledge, confidence, and attitudes related to screening, counseling, and willingness to provide oral care services to pregnant patients.Results: Over a period of three years, 93 DH students (n=93) completed both the baseline and post-program surveys for a 96.8% response rate. Participants reported gains in knowledge and confidence for screening and counseling pregnant patients. Post-program survey respondents agreed that dental providers should deliver oral health counselling to pregnant women (99%, n=93) and perform an oral health examination during prenatal care (99%, n=92). Nearly all of the respondents, (98%; n=90) reported they are likely to take care of pregnant women upon graduation and deliver preventive oral health messaging to this population (98%, n=91).Conclusion: Dental hygiene student participants in a prenatal oral health program (pHOP) demonstrated positive trends in increasing knowledge and confidence in screening and counseling pregnant patients in the dental setting. Inclusion of a clinical experience played an influential role in changes in knowledge regarding the safety of care during pregnancy, indicating a need for both didactic and clinical immersion opportunities to enhance cognitive and affective transformations.