Relationship of dental status, sociodemographic status, and oral symptoms to perceived need for dental care.
OBJECTIVE
Previous studies have noted a discrepancy between clinically determined oral health status (normative need), patients' perceptions, and perceived significance of dental signs and symptoms. Our objective was to quantify the relationships between normative need and self-reports to improve our understanding of the factors that contribute to perceived need for care.


METHODS
Clinical examination and questionnaire data were derived from the Florida Dental Care Study, a study of oral health and dental care, in a representative sample of community-dwelling adults aged > or = 45 years. The questionnaire provided information about presence of signs and symptoms, self-ratings of oral health, perceived need for dental care, and sociodemographic status (SDS). Perceived need was measured on a 4-point nominal scale.


RESULTS
Self-reported broken filling, broken denture, cavities, loose tooth, teeth that look bad, and toothache were strongly associated with self-reported perceived need for dental care. Satisfaction with dental health was also associated with perceived need, but self-rated oral health was not. Most measures of SDS were associated with perceived need. However, in a single multiple regression, with self-reported signs and symptoms accounted for, race, age group, sex, and educational attainment were not significantly associated with a currently perceived dental problem.


CONCLUSIONS
Certain dental signs and symptoms were significantly associated with perceived need for dental care, as were certain aspects of SDS; even once differences in dental signs and symptoms had been taken into account. Disaggregating measurement of perceived need from a single dichotomous ('yes/no') scale to a 4-point nominal scale was elucidative.
Heft
Marc W
MW
Claude D. Pepper Center, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0416, USA. mwheft@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu
Gilbert
Gregg H
GH
Shelton
Brent J
BJ
Duncan
R Paul
RP
D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000523:psychology; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009909:Oral Health; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D012923:Social Class; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000523:psychology; D014098:Toothache / Q000523:psychology