Abstract: Abstract: Objective To investigate and analyze the status and influencing factors of pregnant women’s participation in pre-pregnancy oral examinations in Zhangjiagang City. Methods From February to June in 2014, 783 pregnant women in Maternal and Child Health Institute of Zhangjiagang had been chosen as survey objects. Designed in combination with the aim of the present study, the questionnaire involved a wide range of questions: demographic information, status of pre-pregnancy oral examinations; reasons for not taking pre-pregnancy oral examinations, etc. Then, a statistical analysis was made based on the results of the questionnaire. Results Among the 783 pregnant women, 104 had taken pre-pregnancy oral examinations, accounting for 13.3% of all. Whether the respondents had taken pre-pregnancy oral examinations was related to their age group, level of education, monthly income, the employment state（P＜0.05）， and was significantly associated with their oral health knowledge（P＜0.001）, but was not obviously related with their attitudes towards oral health. The primary reasons for 679 pregnant women’s not taking pre-pregnancy oral examinations were listed successively as follows: no dental problems or not feeling necessary, no time or not knowing the need of oral examination, and fear of pain. Conclusions The proportion of the pregnant women who have taken pre-pregnancy oral examinations in Zhangjiagang is low. It is necessary to strength the oral health education among childbearing women, and to stringently put pre-pregnancy oral examinations into the basic project of preconception care for the purpose of promoting health of the pregnant women and their fetus.

Key words: pregnant women, oral examination before pregnancy, factors, Zhangjiagang