MODE Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Maternal Oral health and Dental care access Enablers: the MODE exploratory study
IRAS ID
253999
Contact name
Jennifer Gallagher
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
years, 18 months, days
Research summary
Ante and postnatal women
Poor oral health during and after pregnancy can negatively affect the health of a woman. For example, the hormonal changes of pregnancy results in a higher chance of developing gum disease which can negatively impact dietary intake and other health behaviours. Furthermore, poor oral health can lead to an increased risk of pre-term delivery and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Altogether, poor oral health can negatively and significantly affect a woman’s quality of life. Equally, the maternal environment directly impacts the health and wellbeing of a child, putting them at high risk of developing oral and dental disease.Child
Primary (baby) teeth matter when thinking about a baby’s best start in life. Health literacy along with maternal-to-child transmission of bacteria, for children, can directly impact the risk of gum disease and negatively affect dietary intake and other health outcomes. For children, consequences include increased pain, difficulty in sleeping and eating, attending and performing at school and childhood caries and may require having general anaesthetic for the removal of decayed teeth.Access
In order to deliver better oral health, women are recommended to visit their dentist during pregnancy (NICE 2008) and should be advised by their midwives and other relevant NHS staff to regularly visit their dentist and seek appropriate care to maintain good oral health. For pregnant women, new mothers and young children, oral health services are free of charge. Yet, uptake of dental care services during and after pregnancy by women is low, especially among those from disadvantaged background. Little is known about the multiple factors that hinder or enable these women to use these services. However, the issue is not just access alone, it is about enabling prevention also.Research
To gain a better understanding of this phenomenon would inform relevant advice, support, service changes and interventions, where more flexibility in how dental services are provided could alleviate the problems experienced by these women and increase uptake of services. In order to promote better dental care and in the absence of evidence of current issues, we aim to conduct a longitudinal exploration of the views of women during and after pregnancy regarding the multiple factors that hinder or enable these women (and their children) at this phase of life to use dental care services.To achieve this aim we will carry out focus group discussions and interviews with ante and postnatal women who attend for maternity care at King’s College Hospital, or at NHS mother and baby clinics in the local community. We also want to speak with their partners, midwives, health visitors and dental team members. In addition, these participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire about their oral health and their lifestyle behaviours (e.g. diet, hygiene, tobacco, alcohol, etc.), dental care received and related experiences. We are also planning to follow up participants and explore their views during the postnatal stage.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EE/0281
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jan 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion