Analysis of Subjective Oral Symptoms and Related Factors in Early Pregnancy

Abstract

 This study aimed to clarify oral health behaviors, lifestyle, morning sickness, and factors associated with subjective oral symptoms among women aged 18 years or older in early pregnancy using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The survey included the “healthy behaviors” (nine items) section of the Oral Health Questionnaire (Japan Dental Association, 2014) to evaluate oral health behaviors, the Emesis Index (Kitakawa, 1995) (five items) to evaluate morning sickness, and 16 independently created items to evaluate lifestyle. The following items of the Oral Health Questionnaire were used to address subjective oral symptoms: “I bleed when I brush my teeth,” “my gums are swollen and puffy,” and “cold or hot things make my teeth ache.” Any respondents who had at least one symptom was classified as “has subjective oral symptoms.” For statistical analysis, binomial logistic regression was performed with the presence of subjective oral symptoms as the dependent variable. Of the 981 survey forms distributed, 509 valid responses were collected (valid response rate: 74.5%). The “has subjective oral symptoms” group included 370 respondents (72.7%). Factors associated with “has subjective oral symptoms” were parity, using an interdental brush, and flossing sometimes or never．The results suggest that it is important to promote proper oral cleaning behavior in the early stages of pregnancy.