Journal Exercise Lecture ISD5

Reflection/appraisal from journal article exercise

When reading journal articles it may help to consider the following questions to consider the possible impact of the study on your own practice.

1. Did this study address a clearly focused issue? What was this?

The study examined the oral health knowledge of pregnant women and gathered information about their plans for their future child’s dental care. This included assessing their understanding of factors such as the tooth decay-causing potential of specific foods and their awareness of preventive measures like fluoride. The study aimed to highlight gaps in understanding and to suggest improvements for better maternal and infant oral health.

1. What were the key findings of the paper?

2. Knowledge gaps: mums who had previous children knew more about oral health care for young children than first-time mothers.

3. Lack of information: milk, fruit juices, and dried fruits were all known to be cariogenic but expecting moms were not aware of this.

4. Fluoride use: the majority of women knew about fluoride in toothpaste and floss, but they were less knowledgeable about fluoride varnish.

5. Care plans: many mothers had not thought about when to start brushing their child's teeth or what kind of toothpaste to use.

6. How did they recruit patients to the trial?

Patients were recruited for the study at the Ultrasound Maternity Unit at St. Thomas’ Hospital, London. Pregnant women attending their routine 18-21 week ultrasound scan were invited to participate. The inclusion criteria required participants to be English-speaking, aged 18 or older, and willing to participate. Patients who did not meet these criteria or were there for other types of scans were excluded. A total of 115 out of 147 eligible women agreed to participate by completing a self-report questionnaire.

1. Can we apply the results to the local population? If not why not?

We may not be able to apply the results of the study to the local population due to:

• Sample size: the study is a small sample of 115 pregnant women from a single London maternity unit, which may not be an accurate representation of the local or wider population.

• Demographic specificity: the population that was studied had specific demographic characteristics (age, ethnicity) that may not represent other regions within the local or wider population.

• Health system differences: the UK's healthcare system, policies, and health education programs differ from other localities, which can affect how relevant the findings are elsewhere.

1. Will the results change your practice, if so how?

For me, the study's findings highlight the need for improved oral health education during pregnancy, as it demonstrates a lack of knowledge around fluoride varnish, cariogenic foods and when dental care should be received. I would like a more thorough education program for expectant mothers in my practice. This could involve giving more information about infant dental care and having regular talks about oral health during prenatal visits in order to lower early childhood caries.