title: Conceptions of dental amalgam and oral health aspects during pregnancy in Finnish women.
abstract: All 277 pregnant women (mean age 28.4 yr, SD 4.6) living at the Lohja municipal health center area in Southern Finland participated in a survey during the first 6 months in 1990. The women's own opinions of the effect of pregnancy on their oral health were questioned during their first trimester of gestation. A special emphasis was put on the attitudes of dental restorative materials. The results showed that 57% of the subjects would have accepted the use of any restorative material during pregnancy while 43% were against one or more materials. 77 (65%) were opposing dental amalgam. 129 women (47%) were of the opinion that pregnancy as such is detrimental to their dental health. This opinion was significantly more frequent among women who were pregnant for third or more times than those having their first gestation. 70 (26%) thought dental treatment to have an effect on their gestation. Also 70 subjects (26%) thought that dental treatment may affect normal development of the fetus. The results showed that in spite of the long tradition in maternity counseling in Finland, the conceptions among pregnant women are often erroneous from the dental point of view.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murtomaa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Holttinen
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Meurman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003188:Composite Resins; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D003729:Dental Care; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006047:Gold Alloys; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D006047:Gold Alloys; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D003723:Dental Amalgam