{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T20:56:56Z","timestamp":1790888216246,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,2]],"date-time":"2024-12-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1733097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Hormonal, vascular, and behavioral changes during pregnancy can negatively impact a woman\u2019s oral health, resulting in conditions such as gingivitis, dental sensitivity, and caries. Although oral health is critical during pregnancy, it remains frequently overlooked. In this study, the oral health status and hygiene practices of pregnant women attending two university hospitals in southern Italy were evaluated. Methods: A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted with 72 pregnant women. Data were collected through an anonymous questionnaire that evaluated oral hygiene habits, dental visits, and oral pathologies, followed by a clinical examination. The examination included the assessment of the Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and the Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) scores. Results: Among the participants, 61% were in their 9th month of pregnancy. The mean DMFT score was 7.9, and the mean OHI score was 3.6. Only 19.4% of participants had visited a dentist in the past 6 months, while 97.2% reported brushing their teeth just once per day. Gingival bleeding was reported by 72.2% of the women, and 38.9% experienced dental sensitivity, with both conditions worsening during pregnancy. Conclusions: The need for greater oral hygiene education and regular dental care during pregnancy is highlighted in this study. Integrating oral health maintenance into prenatal care programs is essential for preventing pregnancy-related oral diseases and promoting maternal and fetal well-being.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13237315","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,3]],"date-time":"2024-12-03T11:48:56Z","timestamp":1733226536000},"page":"7315","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study of Oral Health and Hygiene Practices Among Pregnant Women"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3529-709X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberto","family":"Lo Giudice","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Pathology of Adults and Developmental Age, Messina University, 98100 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0587-8467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Canio","family":"Martinelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood \u201cG. Barresi\u201d, Messina University, 98122 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 1912, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6695-151X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angela","family":"Alibrandi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Economics, Messina University, 98122 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandro","family":"Mondo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood \u201cG. Barresi\u201d, Messina University, 98122 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renato","family":"Venezia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, \u201cPaolo Giaccone\u201d Hospital, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Grazia","family":"Cannarozzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Researcher, 95100 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2819-7266","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Puleio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Messina University, 98122 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raffaella","family":"Pollicino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Messina University, 98122 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5100-2426","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Lo Giudice","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Messina University, 98122 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1543-2802","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio Simone","family":"Lagan\u00e0","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, \u201cPaolo Giaccone\u201d Hospital, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Piccinni, M.P., Raghupathy, R., Saito, S., and Szekeres-Bartho, J. 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