Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Pregnancy results in physiological changes in almost all the organs including oral cavity. Most commonly it is associated with gingivitis. Sometimes these changes may become pathological and result in severe gingivitis and periodontitis that needs specialist's attention. Not only do these oral diseases result in caries and tooth loss, they may incite systemic inflammatory response, resulting in adverse pregnancy outcome. Ironically, despite the availability of evidence for this association, dental attendance among the pregnant women remains low. We reviewed the literature pertaining to this issue and the available studies addressing dental care and treatment in pregnancy. We found that there is uniformly lack of awareness of oral care and denial for oral treatment both by pregnant women and their care providers, as reported by most of the studies. Out of all the factors, we found lack of health education or awareness in the main reason for this. This is the major factor that has precipitated the "one tooth for one pregnancy" norm. Hence, there is urgent need to spread awareness about importance of dental care and safety of treatment in pregnancy to overcome the myths.
Keywords: pregnancy, oral health, periodontal disease, knowledge, beliefs.