title: Multilevel factors associated with dentists' counseling of pregnant women about periodontal health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors associated with dentists' counseling of pregnant patients about periodontal health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey data from Oregon general dentists (N = 771) were linked to county-level data from the U.S. Area Resource Files and analyzed using two-level hierarchical linear models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dentists who believed there is an important relationship between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes counseled significantly larger proportions of pregnant patients (p < .0001). Female dentists (p < .05) and those who saw a greater number of pregnant patients (p < .05) were more likely to counsel. County-level health workforce characteristics (e.g., percent female physicians, obstetricians or gynecologists, female dentists) were not significantly associated with dentists' counseling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dentists who were knowledgeable about periodontal disease were more likely to counsel pregnant patients. Future interventions should improve the oral health knowledge of dentists and other healthcare professionals regarding the importance of comprehensive dental care, including periodontal treatment when needed, for all pregnant patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Sciences, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milgrom
authors.forename: Adam C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Carle
authors.forename: Colleen E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Lloyd A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mancl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009922:Oregon; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications
keywords: counseling; dentists practice patterns; multilevel analysis; periodontal disease; pregnancy