Table 3.

Unfavourable beliefs about the impact of specific dental treatment procedures on pregnancy

Dental procedures	Unfavourable beliefs
X-rays/exposure to radiation	• It is harmful to the fetus and/or mother [22, 26–28, 40, 42, 43, 45, 50, 51]. • It causes miscarriage [11]. • It is completely contraindicated [56].
Local anesthesia	• It is not safe for pregnant women and/or the fetus [26, 42, 45]. • It affects the development of the baby’s organs [12, 29]. • It is contradicted during pregnancy [41, 56]. • It causes miscarriage [11].
Medication	• It should be avoided during pregnancy [20]. • Medication prescribed by dentists may harm the fetus or mother [11, 27, 45].
Dental extraction	• It causes miscarriage [12, 29]. • It adversely affects the fetus [42]. • It should not be done during pregnancy/is not safe [23, 26, 28, 51].
Other	• Dental filling/crown is not safe [26, 42, 45]. • Calculus removal/ scaling/ tooth cleaning is not safe [26, 28, 42, 45]. • Periodontal treatment is not safe [26]. • Dental environment (material, noise) is harmful to the baby [20, 22].