Effectiveness of an oral hygiene intervention program among postpartum women

Relevance. Profound physiological changes that begin during pregnancy and continue into the postpartum period may compromise oral health and increase susceptibility to the onset and progression of oral diseases, including dental and periodontal conditions. In this setting, individual oral hygiene is the most accessible—and potentially the most effective—preventive strategy for this patient group. Nevertheless, this area remains underexplored, and available preventive programs seldom address the specific needs of the postpartum period.

Materials and methods. A prospective study included 90 breastfeeding women examined one month postpartum. Participants were allocated to three groups: a control group and two intervention groups receiving structured oral hygiene programs tailored to conditions affecting the hard dental tissues and the periodontium. Oral health status was evaluated using a questionnaire and a comprehensive clinical examination, with assessment of the DMFT index, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), Plaque Index (PLI), Approximal Plaque Index (API), and Papillary–Marginal–Attached (PMA) index at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after program initiation.

Results. At baseline, a substantial proportion of participants reported halitosis (26%), intermittent gingival bleeding (60%), and increased tooth sensitivity (37%). Clinical examination confirmed a high caries experience in the postpartum period (DMFT = 11.44 ± 0.53) and poor oral hygiene. Against this background, implementation of structured oral hygiene programs resulted in a statistically significant improvement in oral hygiene and periodontal indices in the intervention groups compared with the control group.

Conclusion. The postpartum period may be accompanied by progression of oral diseases, including conditions affecting the hard dental tissues and the periodontium. Targeted optimization of oral hygiene practices, together with individualized selection of effective hygiene aids, can substantially reduce their clinical manifestations in postpartum women.

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