title: Socioeconomic and psychosocial predictors of dental healthcare use among Brazilian preschool children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disparities in utilization of oral healthcare services have been attributed to socioeconomic and individual behavioral factors. Parents' socioeconomic status, demographics, schooling, and perceptions of oral health may influence their children's use of dental services. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationships between socioeconomic and psychosocial factors and the utilization of dental health services by children aged 1-5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected through clinical exams and a structured questionnaire administered during the National Day of Children's Vaccination. A Poisson regression model was used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected from a total of 478 children. Only 112 (23.68%) were found to have visited a dentist; 67.77% of those had seen the dentist for preventive care. Most (63.11%) used public rather than private services. The use of dental services varied according to parental socioeconomic status; children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those whose parents rated their oral health as "poor" used dental services less frequently. The reason for visiting the dentist also varied with socioeconomic status, in that children of parents with poor socioeconomic status and who reported their child's oral health as "fair/poor" were less likely to have visited the dentist for preventive care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that psychosocial and socioeconomic factors are important predictors of the utilization of dental care services.
authors.forename: Rômulo Vaz
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Machry
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tuchtenhagen
authors.forename: Bernardo Antonio
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.forename: Carlos Roberto
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: da Silva Teixeira
authors.forename: Chaiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piovesan
authors.forename: Fausto Medeiros
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Rua Cel, Niederauer 917/208, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. thiardenghi@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Thiago Machado
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ardenghi
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D009909:Oral Health; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector; D012923:Social Class