Perceptions, knowledge, and practices related to oral health in a group of pregnant women: A qualitative study

It is well known that the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease is increasing in pregnant women. Dental care is mostly sufficient to prevent oral diseases and perform timely interventions. However, few pregnant women go to the dental office during this period due to a lack of knowledge. The perceptions, knowledge, and oral health practices of pregnant women have been scarcely explored and should be taken into account to propose positive interventions in this population.

To identify and explore the perceptions, knowledge, and practices of oral health in a group of pregnant women in Colombia.

Twenty-four semistructured interviews were conducted in different areas of Colombia. The interviews were conducted via telephone, and the calls were recorded with the consent of the participants. The recordings were transcribed in Word® and checked for typing and transcription errors. The transcripts were analyzed using a hybrid approach combining inductive and deductive coding. The information was organized and encoded using NVivo12 ®software. We followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist.

Pregnant women reported having good oral health. One barrier mentioned for occupation (Job) was pregnancy. The appearance of the oral cavity has not negatively affected the relationships of pregnant women.

The pregnant women had good oral hygiene habits but did not receive dental check-ups. Knowledge in this group was limited and diverse. The information given by health professionals should be standardized, and some beliefs should be demystified.

In general, few pregnant women were aware of bleeding gums during pregnancy. Empower pregnant women to take care of themselves through regular dental check-ups with the aim of preventing and treating oral diseases. Oral hygiene education and healthy nutritional habits should be intensified during this stage.

The participation in the study included a semistructured interview by telephone with the prior consent of the pregnant woman authorizing her involvement and the recording of the interview.