Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Good Oral Hygiene among Pregnant Women in Rivers State, Southern Nigeria – A Multicenter Study

Background: Poor oral hygiene during pregnancy has been reported to be associated with an increased rate of gingivitis, dental caries, periodontal disease, and tooth decay.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of good oral hygiene among pregnant women in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, it would evaluate their knowledge and awareness of good oral hygiene. It would also evaluate the rate of oral hygiene practices such as frequency of tooth brushing, type of toothpaste, use of dental floss, the rate of a dental check-up and professional teeth cleaning. It would also evaluate the signs of poor oral hygiene, dental education during pregnancy and self-reported oral pathology.

Methods and Materials: A descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted among 224 antenatal care women in three selected hospitals; Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, General Hospital Bonny, and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Hospital, all in Rivers State, Nigeria. A two-phase sampling technique was used to select the days for sample collection, and the subjects. A structured questionnaire was distributed and filled by the participants, and relevant information on knowledge, attitude, and practice of oral hygiene was obtained and analyzed.

Results: The level of awareness of oral hygiene among the women was very high, Odds ratio = 11.2 [7.18, 17.41]. However, this did not reflect appreciably in their oral hygiene practices. Only 24.1% consulted a dentist in the index and previous pregnancies, 59.4% have never had professional teeth cleaning, and only 8.0% clean their teeth every 6 months. The use of dental floss was low (32.1%), however 78% used toothbrush with paste, and 56% brushed twice daily. Only 10.7% of the women received oral hygiene educated during antenatal classes. The most prominent sign of poor mouth hygiene was bad breath 97(19.3%), and bleeding gum 60(22.4%) was the most common self-reported dental pathology.

Conclusions: The pregnant women in Rivers State, Nigeria have good knowledge of oral hygiene, but relatively poor attitude and practices, especially with a dental consultation, professional teeth cleaning and use of dental floss. Secondly, Nigerian women are not given proper oral hygiene education during antenatal classes. Integration of oral health into antenatal care could improve most of the poor oral hygiene indices, and the complications associated with it.