Role of Mothers in Prevention of Dental Caries: A Systematic Review

The mothers’ role of preventing dental caries starts when the child is in mother’s womb this can easily be prevented through early detection of oral health problems through screening in early pregnancy and applying prompt treatment at right time so that transmission of infection from mothers to child can be prevented. Routine dental checkups during pregnancy and use fluorides and chlorhexidine are found to be effective preventive strategies in inhibiting the transmission of cariogenic bacteria from mother to child [1]. The mothers are considered to be the primary care giver of the children. The mothers acquiring cariogenic bacteria, having improper dietary practices are at increased risk of developing caries. The mothers must adopt preventive dental approach before conception which includes; use of fluorides that reduces the caries process, and utilization of routine preventive dental care. During pregnancy provision of optimal dental care is important and should be given safely and effectively. The US food and drug administration (FDA) categorized fluoride in category C [2]. The C category drugs are generally considered safe but information from well-controlled human studies is limited. The topical fluoride gel may cause nausea, so application of fluoride varnish is recommended due to its better tolerance. The use of fluoride in pregnancy must follow the evidence based guidelines [3]. A study conducted on effectiveness of 0.05% sodium fluoride and 0.12% chlorhexidine mouth rinse daily for 6 months of pregnancy and 24 months after delivery showed significant results and combination of both the drugs found effective [4,5]. The mode of action is different of these two medications but their combined therapy produces synergistic effect on mutant streptococci [5]. The other medication like Xylitol and chlorhexidine use reduces maternal oral bacterial load and reduce the vertical transmission of bacteria to infants when used late in pregnancy and in postpartum period. Both topical agents are considered safe in pregnancy and during breastfeeding [6]. The chewing gums containing high dose of Xylitol is found to have beneficial effects on reducing the plaque pH and MS saliva concentration [7]. A study conducted in North Carolina first established the association of periodontal disease with low birth weight and preterm birth which was previously neglected. There are numerous factors previously identified for Low birth weight and preterm babies but this study after adjusting with possible confounder reached to the conclusion and given an insight to future research [8].