Table 2 Solutions for improving dental care utilization in pregnancy proposed by midwives, dentists, and pregnant women

Provision of knowledge

“In my opinion the most important barrier for seeking dental visit during pregnancy is lack of knowledge. If someone were informed, he/she would follow. It depends on kind of informing in society but advertisements are effective. If useful advertisements about oral health issue in media were even one thousandth of advertisements of junk foods, it would be effective.”

“There is a need to include a special course for dental care during pregnancy in dental and midwifery curriculums in universities.”

“Pregnant women should be trained on oral self-care; and the importance of dental visit before, during and after pregnancy must be emphasized to them.”

“Oral hygiene and basic dental courses should be included in our curriculum and we must undergo practical training in areas such as caries detection and diagnosis of gum disease in order to have enough self-confidence to guide patients.”

“An agreed clear guideline must be developed for dental treatment during pregnancy.”

“Midwives should encourage us to seek dental visit.”

“Providing educational programs during pregnancy regarding dental care is advised.”

“Education in media regarding dental visit in pregnancy should be developed.”

Financial support

“It must be considered a separate fee for service for dentists to treat pregnant women in order to motivate them for treatment.”

“Special discounts or insurance packages should be offered to pregnant women to decrease the financial problems for seeking dentists.”

“If it was possible for us to take dental loan or pay dental fees in installments instead of cash, it was great.”

“Increase the coverage and annual allocation of insurance companies for dental services especially for pregnant women.”

“Dental insurances should be improved and cover more dental services for pregnant women.”

“There should be a great discount of dental services or even free dental services for pregnant women in governmental centers.”

“Dental cost for pregnant women should be decreased.”

Establishing supportive policies

“If pregnant women do not visit the dentist despite referral by midwives, they should be deprived from further free prenatal services.”

“Equipped dental clinics should be developed specially for treating pregnant women all over the city.”

“Dental centers which provide dental care for pregnant women should be increased.”

“It is better to make dental visit obligatory before and during pregnancy like obligation of consumption of supplements before pregnancy.”

“It should be mandatory to perform scaling for all women who need before and during pregnancy.”

“Midwives and nurses and physicians should cooperate which each other more in health centers about pregnant women oral health.”

“The pregnant women are not suitable choice for oral health education and cooperation for related interventions since they had physiological problems like nausea and …, It is better to call on them after giving birth?”

“To recess from work for dental checkups must become easy for employed pregnant women.”

“The dental centers which specially deliver services to pregnant women should be developed and increased.”

“The government regulations should support dentists for caring pregnant women.”

“Psychological counseling during and after pregnancy could help women to pay more attention to their health generally and seeking necessary cares.”