Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of the Turkish German Gynecology Association, cilt.23, sa.4, ss.275-286, 2022 (ESCI)
© 2022 by the Turkish-German Gynecological Education and Research Foundation.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practice behavior of Turkish obstetrician-gynecologists regarding oral healthcare during pregnancy and the association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected Turkish obstetrician-gynecologists using a questionnaire consisting of 26 questions during 11th Turkish-German Gynecological Association Congress. Participation in the survey was voluntary. Results: Out of 435 attendees approached, 382 (88%) of the gynecologists at the Congress participated in the written questionnaire. Most of the participants (96.1%) acknowledged a connection between oral health and pregnancy, and 77.5% agreed that periodontal disease may affect the outcome of pregnancy. Moreover, a high proportion of participants were aware of the clinical signs of periodontal diseases, mainly gingival bleeding (92.1%). However, almost 20% of participants thought that dental treatment could be performed safely in the first or last trimester of pregnancy. Only 36.9% of participants recommended guidance on dental examination for their patients during prenatal care. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Turkish obstetrician-gynecologists have a relatively high degree of knowledge with respect to the relationship between periodontal disease and pregnancy outcomes, but practice behavior was poorly correlated with their knowledge. (J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc 2022; 23: 275-86).