title: Turkish women's self-reported knowledge and behavior towards oral health during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate oral health care knowledge and behavior of women during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 351 mothers with children under 3 months of age who presented at Gülhane Medical Academy's Department of Pediatrics for a routine child check-up. Mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire about their knowledge and behavior regarding dental care during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the women who participated in the study had dental insurance, and most of them had high levels of education. Of the 351 mothers, 263 (75%) had heard about possible connections between oral health and pregnancy outcome, and 165 (47%) believed tooth and periodontal problems could affect pregnancy outcome. However, 256 (73%) women still believed that calcium would be drawn out of their teeth by the developing baby, and 151 (43%) believed in the erroneous statement 'A tooth for a baby'. 241 (68.7%) women had experienced oral health problems during pregnancy; however, only 48 (13.7%) visited a dentist during their pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Turkish women, despite having knowledge that adverse pregnancy events may be related to dental and periodontal problems, did not seek oral health care during pregnancy. This suggests the need to better educate medical providers to inform pregnant women to obtain oral health care during pregnancy.
authors: Pediatric Dentistry Clinics, Tepebaşı Oral Health Hospital, Ministry of Health of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey. bugra_dt@yahoo.com
authors: Buğra
authors: B
authors: Ozen
authors: Levent
authors: L
authors: Ozer
authors: Feridun
authors: F
authors: Başak
authors: Ceyhan
authors: C
authors: Altun
authors: Cengizhan
authors: C
authors: Açıkel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey