The relationship between cigarette smoking and perceived dental treatment needs in the United States, 1988-1994.
BACKGROUND
Although factors affecting perceived dental treatment needs have been investigated, the effect of smoking status on perceptions of dental needs has not been examined.


METHODS
The authors examined data on 13,227 dentate people aged 20 to 79 years from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Information was collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, cigarette smoking, perceived dental treatment needs and other factors during a home interview, and clinical oral health information was collected at a mobile examination center.


RESULTS
In univariate analyses, current smokers were more likely than nonsmokers to perceive dental needs in all categories, except for the need for a dental cleaning. Multivariate regression results indicate that current smokers were more likely to report a need for periodontal treatment and dental extractions compared with nonsmokers (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40; 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-1.87 and OR = 1.61; 95 percent CI = 1.22-2.14, respectively). The authors found an interaction between smoking and race/ethnicity in models describing the need for teeth to be filled/replaced and for orthodontic/cosmetic work.


CONCLUSIONS
Current smokers were more likely to have more perceived dental needs compared with nonsmokers. Practice Implications. These results may be important for the advancement of efforts directed toward tobacco-use cessation programs and to understand factors that could affect dental care utilization.
Dye
Bruce A
BA
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD, USA. bfd1@cdc.gov
Morin
Nathalie M
NM
Robison
Valerie
V
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D011203:Poverty; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014481:United States