Dental Visits and Self-assessment of Dental Health Status in the Adult Danish Population

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to study dental visits and self-assessment of dental health status in the adult Danish population. The study group comprised 5151 persons (86.7% of the original sample) who were interviewed in order to determine living conditions. Questions on dental visits and self-assessment of dental health status were included. 61% of the adult Danish population in the age group 20-69 had regular dental visits. Dental visit habits varied according to urbanization, age, sex and social group. Among well off persons 85% had regular dental visits as opposed to only 40% in the disadvantaged social group. Well off persons and persons with regular dental visits more often claimed good dental health than persons in the disadvantaged social group and among the non-regular visitors. In the higher social group 13% reported to have removable dentures in contrast to 51% in the disadvantaged social group. To isolate determinants of dental visits a multiple dummy-regression analysis was performed. Nearly 50% of the variation in dental visit habits was explained by the variables: urbanization, sex, age, perceived dental health status, education, work in exhausting jobs, income, social background and perceived psychological problems. Efforts to bring a greater part of the adult population in Denmark in contact with the dental health service system should consider these findings.

Key Words:

• Dental health behaviour
• Dentures
• Self-assessment