title: First-time dental care and the most recent dental treatment in relation to utilisation of dental services among dentate elderly patients in Lithuania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the initial dental treatments of Lithuanian dentate elderly patients and the content of the most recent treatment in relation to their dentist-visiting behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out at two public dental offices in Kédainiai, Lithuania, among dentate patients aged 60+ years. A self-administered questionnaire covered first-time dental care, the most recent dental treatment, check-up behaviour, interval since the most recent dental visit, and number of teeth. Age, gender and education served as background information. Statistical evaluation was by chi-squared test, anova and logistic regression for odds ratio (OR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 174 dentate elderly responded, mean age being 69.2 (SD = 6.6) years. The mean age at the first visit was 16.3 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 14.9-17.6]. Regular dental check-ups were reported by 30%, and 36% had visited a dentist within the past 12 months. As to the content of the most recent treatment, 78% of the elderly reported filling therapy, 50% endodontics, 48% tooth extraction, 21% radiography, 10% cleaning or scaling and 6% polishing of fillings. Those going for check-ups were more likely to report diagnostic (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1-2.8; p = 0.01) and preventive (OR 4.8; 95% CI 2.5-9.0; p = 0.002) treatment when analysed by a logistic regression model, controlling for age, gender, education and number of teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Check-up-orientated utilisation of dental services should be encouraged among the Lithuanian elderly. Dentists and health officials should place greater emphasis on prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland. sonata.vysniauskaite@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Sonata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vysniauskaité
authors.forename: Miira M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vehkalahti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors