Clinical factors and self-perceived oral health.
Self-perceived oral health is affected not only by awareness of the clinical status but also by comparisons with people of a similar age. This study explored the relative contributions of clinical variables assessing caries, periodontal status, and prosthetic status to self-perceived oral health within two age groups. Data of 891 adults (35-44 yr of age) and 760 older people (65-74 yr of age) from the Fourth German Oral Health Study (DMS IV, 2005) were evaluated. Self-perceived oral health was obtained from questionnaires. Numbers of decayed, filled, and unreplaced teeth, mean attachment loss, bleeding on probing (BOP), the presence of a fixed denture, and the presence of a removable denture were assessed. Multinomial logistic regression models were developed for both age groups, separately, using stepwise methods. For adults, unreplaced teeth, filled teeth, decayed teeth, the presence of a removable denture, and mean attachment loss were added to the final model. For older people, the presence of a removable denture, unreplaced teeth, decayed teeth, mean attachment loss, filled teeth, and BOP were included in the final model. Awareness of the relative contributions of clinical variables to self-perceived oral health is important for obtaining a clearer understanding of patients' subjective and objective self-perceptions of oral health.
Unit of Periodontology, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Periodontology and Endodontology, University Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Svenja
S
Schützhold
Birte
B
Holtfreter
Ulrich
U
Schiffner
Thomas
T
Hoffmann
Thomas
T
Kocher
Wolfgang
W
Micheelis
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D017266:Dental Prosthesis / Q000523:psychology; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D003824:Denture, Complete / Q000523:psychology; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed / Q000523:psychology; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000145:classification*; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012649:Self Concept; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology
German oral health study; adult; caries; older people; self-perceived oral health