title: Toothache pain: behavioral impact and self-care strategies.
abstract: A computer-assisted telephone interview in Maryland of adults who had low income and were Hispanic, Black, and White and who had experienced a toothache during the previous 12 months was conducted. Respondents reported a high prevalence of toothaches, with 44.3% having experienced more than five toothaches during the preceding 10 years. Pain intensity associated with the most recent toothache was high with 45.1% of the respondents reporting the highest pain possible. Pain interfered with many aspects of normal functioning. Self-care strategies generally took precedence over professional health services. Pain sufferers used a combination of self-care and formal care strategies. Initial strategies most often focused on nonprescription medicines(home remedies and prayer. The majority of respondents ultimately sought pain relief from a dentist. We identified a number of significant differences in the strategies used across racial/ethnic groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Policy, University of Maryland Dental School, Maryland, USA. lacohen@umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Leonard A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Arthur J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bonito
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Manski
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Macek
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Llewellyn J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Cornelius
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D029221:Faith Healing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012648:Self Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014098:Toothache / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs