Oral Health Practices Among Indigenous Mothers and Young Children (0-36 Months) in Northwest Territories, Canada.

Objectives: Early oral hygiene and care help prevent early childhood caries (ECC). As remote Indigenous communities in Canada have limited access to dental care, this project explores Indigenous women's oral hygiene practices during and after pregnancy and in regard to children (0-36 months) within three communities in Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. Methods: A mixed-methods study design was employed. Self-identifying Indigenous women who were pregnant or had given birth within the 3 years preceding data collection (2019) were invited to complete a semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results: 156 Indigenous women participated. Of participants who gave birth in the last 3 years ( Conclusions: Within Indigenous communities in NWT, inaccessible oral health care, information, and supplies made it challenging for mothers to meet oral health recommendations during and after pregnancy and in regard to young children. The findings of this project suggest the need for long-term, collaborative strategies focused on increasing the availability and accessibility of dental care professionals and services within communities and improving oral health literacy via culturally appropriate and collaboratively developed informational initiatives.