Avaliação das condições em saúde bucal das gestantes de uma UBS em Lagarto-SE e dos seus conhecimentos em saúde oral materno-infantil

Abstract

Pregnancy is a period characterized by physical, hormonal and emotional changes in the female body, which causes greater vulnerability to oral diseases. Unfortunately, many women are unaware of the changes that make them more susceptible to develop oral problems during pregnancy and how these problems can influence the baby's health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the oral health condition of pregnant women in a Basic Health Unit in the city of Lagarto-SE, as well as, their knowledge and beliefs about changes in the oral cavity during pregnancy and oral health in early childhood. For this, a questionnaire was applied and a clinical examination was carried out to evaluate the DMFT index. 44 pregnant women with an average age of 25 (±7) were evaluated. Of these, 59% said they had never heard of dental prenatal care while 55% believed that having oral problems during pregnancy is normal during this period. All participants stated that a pregnant woman could go to the dentist, however, only 48% had had a dental appointment in the last three months and 57% said they had gum bleeding easily. Regarding knowledge about early childhood, 68% of them believed that oral problems during pregnancy could influence the baby's health; 40% said that the children's oral hygiene should be started after the "birth" of the teeth and 75% did not believe that a child under 2 years old could use fluoride toothpaste. In addition, 72% believed that antibiotics could cause caries in children. The community DMFT index obtained in the present sample had an average of 8.4. It is concluded that, although all participants believe that pregnant women can go to the dentist, many of them still believe that having oral problems during pregnancy is something normal during this period, in addition to presenting gaps in relation to knowledge about maternal and child oral health. Regarding the mean DMFT obtained in this study, it was considered low, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), whose experience of treated caries is greater than that of untreated. And it was not possible to find a significant association between the DMFT and the level of education or the gestational trimesters of the participants.