title: Is poor access to dental care why people outside capital cities have poor oral health?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Why oral health status outside capital cities is poorer than that in capital cities has not been satisfactorily explained. The aim of this study was to determine if the reason was poorer access to dental care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the Australian National Survey of Adult Oral Health (2004-06). Oral health status was measured by DMFT Index, and numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth. A two-step analysis was undertaken: comparing the dependent variables by location, socio-demographic confounders and preventive dental behaviours, and then including six access to dental care variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 14 123 people interviewed, 5505 were examined, and 4170 completed the questionnaire. With socio-economic parameters in the first regression model, non-capital city people had higher DMFT (regression coefficient = 1.15, p < 0.01), more decayed (0.42, p < 0.01) and missing teeth (0.85, p < 0.01), but not filled teeth (-0.11, p = 0.71), than capital city based people. In the second step analysis, non-capital city people still had a greater DMFT (1.01, p < 0.01), more decayed (0.27, p = 0.03) and missing teeth (0.74, p < 0.01), but not filled teeth (0.00, p = 0.99) than capital city based people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Access to dental care was not the only reason why people outside capital cities have poorer oral health than people living in capital cities.
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, School of Dentistry, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. leonard.crocombe@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Crocombe
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002947:Cities / Q000453:epidemiology; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult