KNOWLEDGE, GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ORAL HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN

Aim: aim of the study is to investigate gynecology and midwifery students’ knowledge and their attitudes towards pregnant women’s oral health, as well as to find an inter collaboration between the professional figures who accompany the pregnant woman throughout the entire gestation, childbirth and postpartum process, in order to promote oral health. Methods: the survey was conducted with the administration of an anonymous questionnaire divided into 5 sections concerning oral health and its implications during pregnancy on the Google Forms platform. Results: the response rate obtained is 38.8%. 78.2% of participants reported that they had never conducted an oral health assessment on pregnant women during prenatal visits, as they stated that they did not have adequate preparation and the skills to carry out relevant assessments. The results of this study revealed that the participants have little knowledge of oral health during pregnancy and fear that dental procedures may have negative side effects on the fetus and/or newborn. Conclusions: the study shows the willingness among students to deepen their knowledge of oral health, since they believe it could be useful in their training and in their daily clinical practice. To this end, it would be appropriate to include lessons and seminars related to oral health in the training course of students of the Obstetrics degree course.