Table 5.

Other oral health-related unfavourable beliefs during pregnancy

Unfavourable beliefs about calcium

• Dental caries/tooth loss is due to the loss of calcium [48, 49]. • Calcium is drawn out of a pregnant woman’s teeth during pregnancy [11, 20–23, 25, 29, 30, 36, 38, 42, 46, 48, 59]. • Lost calcium can be compensated by swishing and keeping milk in the mouth [22]. • Calcium supplements suffice for dental problem prevention [11, 20]. • Calcium consumption during pregnancy stimulates primary teeth eruption [29].

Other unfavourable beliefs

• Teeth should not be brushed after delivery (for a while) [12, 29, 39]. • Teeth should not be brushed during pregnancy [12, 29]. • Uncomfortable feeling in teeth is because of “yeet hay” (internal heat) [20]. • The mother’s diet during pregnancy affects the child's teeth color [22]. • Poor oral hygiene causes cavities that enter the abdomen and negatively affect the baby [19].