The present study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of three different groups of healthcare providers (obstetricians, general practitioners, and midwives) about the relationship between periodontal disease and PLBW.
Based on the findings of the present study, the knowledge of the mid-wives about oral health and its influence on systemic health was not sufficient; while, they can have an important role in improving the community’s health by detecting oral diseases and referring the patients for appropriate treatment. Therefore, their medical education should emphasize on oral health and its impact on systemic health.
Previously, two studies evaluated the knowledge of obstetricians and one study focused on Nurse Practitioners’ (NPs) and Certified Nurse Midwives’ (CNMs) knowledge regarding periodontal disease as a possible risk factor for PLBW. 12-14 According to their results, both NPs and CNMs had limited knowledge of oral health. 14 For example, only 67% of them knew the description of periodontitis and when they were asked about the causes of periodontal disease, 73% answered tooth decay,69% mentioned aging, and 51% answered excessive dietary sugar. In our study, the results were almost the same and the midwives’ knowledge was less than the obstetricians’ and general practitioners’ knowledge.