Dental attendance in a sample of pregnant women in Birmingham, UK.

One of the broader aims of antenatal care is to enhance the general health of the mother, and free dental treatment during pregnancy gives an opportunity for the mother's dental health to be improved. In this study, 500 mothers at the Birmingham Maternity Hospital were interviewed, using a questionnaire, during their first three days postpartum. The object was to investigate the receipt of dental care during pregnancy. Only 304 (61 per cent) mothers had visited the dentist in the antenatal period and 196 (39 per cent) had not. Although the majority of mothers (95.5 per cent) were aware that dental care was free, the high non-attendance rate was because mothers 'did not feel it necessary' to visit. Therefore the removal of the financial deterrent does little to promote dental attendance. Previous patterns of dental attendance strongly influenced attendance behaviour during pregnancy. Non-attenders tended to be Muslims, mothers who were previously irregular attenders, those of lower socio-economic groups, and those having their first baby. Efforts to improve the uptake of dental care should be directed towards these groups, and all the health agencies involved in antenatal care can contribute to the promotion of better maternal health.