Dental Considerations in Pregnancy – A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Good oral health during pregnancy can not only improve the health of the pregnant mother, but also potentially the health of her child. There is inconclusive and contrasting nature of evidence regarding the effect of pregnancy on oral health. So the purpose of this study was to systematically review the dental considerations during Pregnancy for further investigation. Methods: For the identification of the studies included in this review, we devised the search strategy for each database. The search strategy used a union of controlled vocabulary and free text terms. The main electronic database used to access the studies were PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane Review, Embase and Google Scholar. Results: A total of 28 articles fulfilled the criteria and were selected for the review. Some prenatal oral health conditions have adverse effects on the child. Periodontitis is associated with preterm birth, low birth weight infants and high level of cariogenic bacteria in pregnant mother can lead to increased risk of dental caries in the infant. Oral lesions such as gingivitis and pregnancy tumours are benign in nature and require only reassurance and monitoring. Conclusion: It has been suggested that some oral conditions may have adverse consequences on their children awareness related to oral health during pregnancy. Oral health care services should be routinely integrated with prenatal care services for all the pregnant women and specific preventive oral health care program should be made an integral part of antenatal care.