TITLE:
Oral Health Patterns among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in Bamenda
AUTHORS:
William Ako Takang, Akwa Divine Mbong
KEYWORDS:
Pregnant Women, Dental Caries, Periodontal Diseases
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.13 No.6,
June
30,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Pregnancy can be a risk factor for dental diseases as oral tissues are
liable to changes due to hormonal variations. High levels of secretion of progesterone predispose gums tissues to inflammation
leading to gingivitis. Also, oral
pathologies in pregnant women can adversely affect pregnancy outcomes.
This may be because pro-inflammatory cytokines are released into the system of the pregnant woman, which can reach the womb, causing harm to the baby. Pathogenic
bacteria can also get into circulation leading to septicemia. This can cause abortion, preterm delivery,
low birth weight, pre-eclampsia and
many others. There is a high prevalence of oral diseases in
pregnant women in developing countries, but just a few of them actually access dental care services. This is
more rampant in countries with no oral health programs and where oral
health is not included in the antenatal care package. Lack of knowledge about
the importance of oral health to pregnancy outcome, cost of dental treatment, as well as fear of the effect of dental treatment on pregnancy, are among the barriers to pregnant women not accessing dental care services during pregnancy. Objective: The main objective of the study was
to assess the oral health status among pregnant women attending antenatal
clinics in Bamenda. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was carried out on 295 pregnant women attending ANC in Nkwen,
Mankon, and Bamendankwen, which have specialized dental units and so all these
pregnan