title: Dental care utilization: a study of 50- to 75-year-olds in southern Sweden.
abstract: This study investigates dental care utilization in an adult population in Southern Sweden in relation to dental and social conditions, attitudes to costs, and perceived need to obtain dental services. The study was based on responses to a questionnaire sent in 1998 to a random sample, 1974 persons, aged 56-75 years. The response rate was 66%. A significantly higher probability of dental care utilization less than once a year was found for men, for those with few remaining teeth, and for those with removable dentures. A higher probability of dental care utilization less than once a year was found for those who stated perceived need to obtain dental care with no possibility because of the cost and for those who stated that the cost had influenced their attendance for dental care. The results showed that there were differences for sex and dental conditions in dental care utilization and that dental care utilization was related to attitudes towards costs of dental care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Centre for Oral Health Sciences, Malmö University, Sweden. Ingrid.Collin-Bagewitz@skane.se
authors.forename: Ingrid Collin
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Bagewitz
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Söderfeldt
authors.forename: Sigvard
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmqvist
authors.forename: Krister
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nilner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003778:Dentures / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000191:economics; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology