Integrating a Nurse-Midwife-Led Oral Health Intervention Into CenteringPregnancy Prenatal Care: Results of a Pilot Study.
Sally H Adams, Steven E Gregorich, Sharon S Rising and 2 others
PMID 28686808WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant women in the nurse-midwife-led oral health group had less plaque, less bleeding on gum probing, and fewer 4mm or greater gum pockets about 9 weeks later.
Key findings
01Approximately 9 weeks after the maternal oral health module, women in the intervention group had less plaque, less bleeding on probing, and fewer 4mm or greater gum pockets on dental exam.
02Compared with control, the intervention group had a slight improvement in self-reported importance of oral health, but no differences in knowledge, self-efficacy, optimal brushing, or optimal flossing.
03The maternal module was delivered to 98% of women in the intervention arm, lasted an average of 18 minutes, and covered 97% of learning objectives.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 101 women were studied, and sites were assigned to intervention or control without randomization. The number analysed for dental outcomes is not stated in the supplied text. The intervention included education, supplies, and repeated toothpick tests, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Follow-up was approximately 9 weeks, so longer-term effects are unknown. Many women already reported brushing at least twice daily at baseline, which may limit changes in self-reported brushing. Baseline gum bleeding and pocket depths were somewhat higher in the intervention arm, though not significantly, so there may have been more room for improvement.
Declared interests
The supplied text says the authors reported no conflicts of interest and does not identify a funding source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that oral health education alone improves gum health during pregnancy. This was a small non-randomized pilot, and the intervention also included toothbrushes, fluoride toothpaste, dental floss, a timer, and repeated toothpick tests, so the effect of any single part cannot be separated.