Abstract
Gingivitis and periodontal infection are one of the primary conditions faced during pregnancy. Good oral hygiene practices can minimize gingival disease during pregnancy. AIM: To assess self-reported daily oral care, dental care during pregnancy, and its impact on oral health among women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: An online structured questionnaire was constructed included; demographic data, medical condition, pregnancy status and complications, daily oral care, dental visits during pregnancy, and an Arabic version of standard Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) to quantity self-referred Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQL). A pilot study was conducted and assessed for validity. RESULTS: A total of (818) women answered the survey; more than half (61%) of the participants were older than 35 years, the majority (92.1%) were married. The total score of OHIP-14; the results indicated 701 women (85.7%) reported good OHRQL and 117 women (14.3%) with poor OHRQL. The total score of OHRQL showed statistically significant results with education level (P = 0.012), frequency of brushing, flossing, has bleeding gum with brushing, and has toothache (P = 0.001), type of OBG YN clinic (P = 0.024), being diabetic during pregnancy (P = 0.022 ), and using medication (P = 0.007 ). It is required to develop, encourage and educate women about appropriate oral health care and dental care to prevent dental and oral diseases among Saudi women during pregnancy.