Self-perceived Oral Health Research Articles

Self-perceived oral health

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-perceived oral health and the prosthetic status of individuals who seek care in prosthodontics clinics. Methods: Self-perceived oral health was analyzed through the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Abutment tooth mobility was assessed, and denture status was determined by clinical assessment of stability, retention, occlusal balance, vertical dimension, and integrity of dentures. The frequency of individuals in each variable was determined for the low and very low GOHAI conditions. Chi-square, Pearson, and stepwise logistic regression tests were used for the statistical analyses (α = 0.05). Results: Ninety wearers of removable dentures with a mean age of 55.1±9.1 years were evaluated. None of the variables was related to GOHAI values (p > 0.05). The regression analysis showed that age predicts (p = 0.006) the variation of GOHAI conditions (OR = 0.924, CI = 0.873- 0.978), showing only 7.6% protective effect against very low GOHAI. Unsatisfactory stability showed the opposite effect (p = 0.034) and the individuals with this characteristic are more likely (OR = 3.055) to have very low GOHAI scores (CI = 1.085- 8.602). Conclusions: The self-perceived oral health of wearers of removable dentures worsens with age and unsatisfactory stability of dentures.

Relationship between oral health and depression: data from the National Health Survey 2016–2017

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between oral health status, self-perception of oral health, and depression.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 2953 individuals that were ≥ 18 years of age and participated in the Chilean National Health Survey (NHS), 2016–2017. Information on oral, dental, and mental health, and the presence or absence of depressive symptoms was collected. Secondary data analysis was carried out using STATA and included logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age, and educational level. The analyses factored in the expansion weights to estimate representative prevalences of the entire population.ResultsParticipants experiencing frequent dental or prosthesis-related discomfort while speaking (OR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.01–2.43) were related with exhibiting suspected depression. Removable upper denture users were at a higher risk of exhibiting suspected (OR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.11–3.74) than those not using them. Participants diagnosed with depression in the past 12 months had a similar number of teeth (median = 24) compared to those without depression (median = 25) (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.96–1.02).ConclusionExperiencing dental or prosthesis-related difficulties in speaking is related to suspected depression or a diagnosis of depression. These findings highlight the importance of developing comprehensive healthcare approaches that consider mental health in the context of oral health.

The relationship between dysphagia and frailty among Chinese hospitalized older patients: a serial mediation model through self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status

BackgroundFrailty contributes to adverse outcomes in older adults and places a heavy burden on healthcare resources. Dysphagia is associated with frailty, but the mechanisms by which dysphagia affects frailty in older adults are unclear. This study aimed to investigate a serial mediating effect of self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status in the relationship between dysphagia and frailty among hospitalized older patients in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 1200 patients aged ≥ 65 years in the Department of Geriatrics, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital. A structured face-to-face interview was used to survey the following questionnaires: General Information Questionnaire, Tilburg Frailty Indicators (TFI), Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), 30mL Water Swallow Test (WST), Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), and Short-Form Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF). A total of 980 participants with complete data were included in the analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and Amos 28.0 software. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis of study variables. The results of the multivariate linear regression analysis for frailty were used as covariates in the mediation analysis, and the structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyze the mediating effects among the study variables.ResultsDysphagia, self-perceived oral health, self-reported nutritional status, and frailty were significantly correlated (P<0.001). Dysphagia was found to directly affect frailty (β = 0.161, 95%CI = 0.089 to 0.235) and through three significant mediation pathways: (1) the path through self-perceived oral health (β = 0.169, 95%CI = 0.120 to 0.221), accounting for 36.98% of the total effect; (2) the path through self-reported nutritional status (β = 0.050, 95%CI = 0.023 to 0.082), accounting for 10.94% of the total effect; (3) the path through self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status (β = 0.077, 95%CI = 0.058 to 0.102), accounting for 16.85% of the total effect. The total mediation effect was 64.77%.ConclusionsThis study indicated that dysphagia was significantly associated with frailty. Self-perceived oral health and self-reported nutritional status were serial mediators of this relationship. Improving the oral health and nutritional status of hospitalized older patients may prevent or delay the frailty caused by dysphagia.

Oral health-related quality of life in the LGBTIQ+ population: a cross-sectional study.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and socioeconomic and demographic variables, suicidal ideation, self-perception of oral health, and experiences of dental care in the Brazilian adult LGBTIQ+ population. A sample of 464 participants completed self-administered online questionnaires and provided information for OHRQoL assessment, using the OHIP-14 instrument at three hierarchical levels of explanatory variables: LGBTIQ+ identities; socioeconomic and demographic data and existential suffering; and self-perception of oral health and experience of dental care. The collected data were fitted to hierarchical multiple logistic regression models, in which the associations between each independent variable with the OHIP-14 prevalence outcome were analyzed. The OHIP-14-prevalence index showed that 33.2% of the participants answered 'frequently' or 'always', and the highest frequencies were obtained for the psychological discomfort (27.8%), psychological disability (18.3%), and physical pain (17.5%) domains. According to the adjusted final model, LGBTIQ+ individuals who were more likely to have their OHRQoL affected were those who were indifferent (OR=3.21; 95% CI: 1.26-8.20), dissatisfied (OR=10.45; 95% CI: 3.86-28.26), or very dissatisfied (OR=53.93; 95% CI: 12.12-239.93) with their oral health status, and also those who had or have difficulty accessing dental treatment (OR=2.06; 95% CI: 1.24-3.41) (p<0.05). It may be concluded that the OHRQoL of the investigated Brazilian LGBTIQ+ population showed associations with individual aspects and with access to dental services.

Oral Health and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Elderly People in Iran.

The study aimed to investigate oral health status and its relationship with oral health-related quality of life in the elderly in Isfahan, Iran, in 2022. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Isfahan, with 460 elderly participants. During interviews with the participants, their demographic information, their medical and dental history, oral health-related behaviors, self-perceived oral health, and clinical examinations were collected, and the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) was completed. The final conclusions were made using the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) test. The mean (sd) scores were 45.05 (8.62) for GOHAI, 5.44 (2.96) for self-perceived oral health, and 18.11 (5.76) for DMFT (Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth). Moreover, the number of remaining teeth on average was 11.78 (11.89), 39.56% of the participants did not brush their teeth, 40% of the elderly had complete dentures, and 27.17% had dental insurance. After adjusting and modifying the variables, the GLM test revealed that strong predictors for higher GOHAI scores were the higher levels of education (p < .001), the higher frequency of remaining teeth (p = 0.002), more pleasant self-perceived oral health (p < .001), and dental insurance (p = 0.04). According to the findings, the elderly's oral health-related quality of life in Isfahan was low, which was caused by the following factors: edentulism, few numbers of remaining teeth, high DMFT score, elderly' non-adjustment with dentures and their low quality, inappropriate oral health-related behaviors, lack of complementary insurance for dentistry, and non-using dental services, and low levels of education.

Impact of oral health on the quality of life of public servants: an analysis of associated factors.

Oral health encompasses functional and aesthetic aspects that directly impact an individual's daily activities. To analyze the impact of oral health conditions and related factors on the quality of life of public servants. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 89 public servants, both permanent and outsourced, from a federal public university in northeastern Brazil. Outcome was the impact of oral health on daily activities, determined by the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance indicator, and independent variables were sociodemographic characteristics, normative oral health conditions, access to and use of dental services, self-reported oral morbidity, self-perception of oral health, and absenteeism because of dental reasons. All data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics, using the chi-squared test for heterogeneity and linear trend. The significance level used was set at 5%, with a 95% CI. Participants experienced at least one day of work impaired by dental problems in the six months prior to the survey. Prevalence of dental absenteeism was 7.9%. Variables associated with the impact of oral health on daily activities included gender, toothache, toothache intensity, self-reported oral health, awake bruxism, self-reported need for dentures, number of natural teeth in the upper and lower arches, and signs of temporomandibular dysfunction. Sociodemographic, clinical, and subjective oral health variables influence the impact of oral health on the daily activities of public servants.

QUALIDADE DOS SERVIÇOS ODONTOLÓGICOS: ASSOCIAÇÃO COM CARACTERÍSTICAS SOCIODEMOGRÁFICAS E DE AUTOPERCEPÇÃO

ABSTRACT Objective: To associate sociodemographic variables with the self-perception of primary health care users. Method: Cross-sectional study with 222 users of dental services from 15 primary care units in a medium-sized city in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Questionnaires with sociodemographic profile, self-perception, and the Primary Care Assessment Tool Brasil oral health were used. For comparisons of t-Student test scores for independent groups and ANOVA (one way) - Post Hoc Sheffé. Results: Users with lower family income (p=0.016), lower education (p=0.027), and who needed to make or replace dental prostheses (p=0.020) showed a significant association in the attribute of service utilization. Regarding accessibility, the variables toothache (p=0.021) and satisfaction with oral health (p&lt;0.001) showed significant associations. In the information system attribute, the higher the number of queries (p=0.012), the better the score. Conclusion: Significant associations were found between sociodemographic variables and self-perception of oral health with the mean scores.

Factors associated with positive self-perception of oral health in pregnant and postpartum women

Factors associated with positive self-perception of oral health in pregnant and postpartum women

The association between oral health and mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults.

Older adults with cognitive impairment can experience poor oral health due to reduced self-care ability, yet the impact of various oral health indicators on the cognitive ability remains unclear. We investigated the relationship between oral health indicators and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults. A cross-sectional study of 234 older adults aged 65 years or over was performed form January to March 2023 at health screening departments of hospitals. This study used the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Hachinski Ischemic Score (HIS) to measure MCI. Two qualified dentists performed clinical oral examinations (number of teeth lost, dental caries, removable dentures, periodontitis). The other oral health status was measured by subjective assessment questionnaires, and the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was assessed by Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Of the 234 older adults, 166 had MCI and 68 had normal cognitive ability. The univariate analyses revealed that older adults with poor oral health indicators of dental caries, mastication ability, oral and maxillofacial pain, self-perceived oral health status and OHRQoL had lower cognitive levels. The stepwise logistic regression analysis observed that higher education level (OR = 0.06, 95%CI = 0.007, 0.567) and OHRQoL score (OR = 0.92, 95%CI = 0.878, 0.963) were negatively associated with the presence of MCI. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of MCI was 0.675 (95% CI: 0.600, 0.749) with a low sensitivity of 41.6% and a moderate specificity of 86.8%. OHRQoL was found to be associated with MCI, implying that OHRQoL may be important in cognitive decline. The GOHAI scale can be used to more easily assess the oral health of older adults, which is important for the timely detection of poor oral status to delay cognitive decline.

Evaluación del estado de salud bucal, necesidades autopercibidas, necesidades insatisfechas y barreras para la utilización de servicios dentales entre la población de edad avanzada institucionalizada en Chennai, India: Un estudio transversal

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status and identify oral health perceived and unmet needs, and barriers in utilization of dental services among institutionalized elderly population in Chennai. Materials and Methods: Across sectional study was conducted among institutionalized an elderly population aged 65-74 years. Oral health status was assessed using the WHO Oral Health Assessment Form (2013). Self-perceived oral health needs and barriers in the utilization of dental services were assessed using a pre-tested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Chi Square Test was done to analyse the data. Results: There was a high frequency of periodontitis among the study participants. The unmet oral health needs were high. The self-perceived oral health condition was good among the study participants. The major barrier for utilization of dental services was the lack of information on oral health. Conclusions: In India, which is a developing country, a low level of dental care results from low-level financing of the Indian health care system. This, however, does not mean that even in the current poor economic conditions, it is impossible to improve the dental awareness of the residents of care homes. The improvement is also possible through the inclusion of dental check-ups into the schedule of general dental examinations of the residents performed once in 6 months. Keywords: Oral health; Needs assessment; Barriers to access of health services; Aged; Health of institutionalized elderly; Dental care for aged

Masticatory performance, self-perception of oral health, oral health-related quality of life and nutritional status of completely edentulous elderly patients submitted to different rehabilitation treatments: A cross-sectional study.

The impact of treatments on completely edentulous individuals on masticatory performance (MP), oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), nutritional status (NS) and socio-economic profile (SP) is unclear in the literature. To compare the MP, OHRQoL, NS and SP of totally edentulous elderly users of bimaxillary complete dentures (CD) and users of lower implant-supported fixed complete dentures (IFCD). Forty participants were allocated into groups according to rehabilitation treatment (n = 20): bimaxillary CD (G1) and lower IFCD, and upper CD (G2). The evaluation of MP used almonds by the method of sieves. Four questionnaires (Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index-GOHAI and Oral Health Impact Profile Edent-OHIP-Edent, Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria-ABEP and Mini Nutritional Assessment-MNA) were applied to assess the OHRQoL, SP and NS of the elderly, respectively. After evaluating the statistical assumptions, the Mann-Whitney (α = .05) test was applied to compare the groups regarding MP, OHRQoL, NS and SP. Spearman's correlation (α = .05) was performed to verify the correlation between the MP, the OHRQoL and the NS of the participants. G2 showed better MP (p < .05) in all masticatory cycles, OHRQoL (p < .05) and NS than the G1. However, the participants' self-perception of oral health did not differ between groups (p < .05). A moderate negative correlation was found between MP and OHRQoL for 40 masticatory cycles (r2 = -0.513; p = .001). Individuals rehabilitated with IFCD had a higher average monthly family income and achieved superior behaviour in MP and OHRQoL, in addition to lower risks of malnutrition when compared to individuals using bimaxillary CD.

Association between Chewing Difficulty and Dietary Ca, Vitamin D, and Mg Intake in Korean Older Adults: 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2020–2021)

Nutrition intake plays a pivotal role in chewing difficulty (CD). This cross-sectional descriptive study aims to explore the associations between CD and the dietary intake of calcium (Ca), vitamin D, and magnesium (Mg) in adults aged 65 and older, utilizing data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2020–2021). The chewing function was assessed using a 5-point scale questionnaire that inquired about discomfort experienced during mastication. “Very uncomfortable” and “uncomfortable,” two of the five response options, were categorized as being indicative of CD. Dietary intake was assessed through 24 h dietary recall interviews, and nutrient calculations were based on the 10th revised edition of the Korean Food Composition Table. Data (N = 2942) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multi-logistic regression analyses in a composite sample plan file. Among the 2942 subjects, groups with insufficient daily nutrient intake had significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) for CD compared to their counterparts. In men, the ORs for Ca (1.56), Mg (1.75), and the combined intake of Mg (1.64) with Ca were elevated. In women, the ORs for Ca (1.74), Mg (1.53), and the combined intake of Mg (1.43) with Ca showed similar trends. After adjusting for age, family income, and family size variables, men’s ORs for Mg (1.55) and the combined intake of Mg (1.55) with Ca remained elevated, while women’s OR for Ca (1.58), Mg (1.42), and the combined intake of Mg (1.34) with Ca remained significant. Dietary vitamin D intake did not significantly impact the OR for CD. After adjusting for natural tooth numbers, self-perceived oral health, and obesity, no significant association was found between CD and these nutrients. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of promoting the recommended daily intake of magnesium alongside dietary calcium to address CD.

Comparing approaches to determining poor oral health among older adults in a national survey.

To compare the clinical validity of the three approaches in residential care facility residents. In NZ residential care facilities, the interRAI assessment tool is used by trained registered nurses for assessing oral status when new residents are admitted, but its validity has been questioned. Although Locker's global oral health item has been used to measure oral health in surveys and health services research, it is not routinely used in care facilities, yet its clinical validity has been demonstrated in population-based samples. Self-perceived oral health need may also be useful. Using a secondary analysis of clinical and self-reported data from a national survey of nursing home residents (the 2012 New Zealand Older People's Oral Health Survey, or OPOHS), we compared the validity of Locker's item, the interRAI tool and self-reported treatment need for identifying three key clinical indicators of poor oral health among dentate older adults; those were coronal caries (3+ teeth affected), root caries (1+ teeth affected) and xerostomia. Analyses were conducted using STATA, and survey weighting was used to obtain estimates for a source population of 25-843 individuals. The prevalence of 3+ teeth with coronal caries was 28.7% (23.9, 34.0), the prevalence of 1+ teeth with root caries was 33.7% (28.7, 39.0), the prevalence of xerostomia was 23.1% (18.4, 28.3). Marked gradients in prevalence risk ratio were seen across different categories of Locker's global oral health item and the interRAI assessment tooth for coronal caries and xerostomia. Locker's global oral health item gave a better fitting model and was more discriminative in detecting coronal caries than the interRAI assessment tool (Lockers AIC = 0.76, interRAI AIC = 0.81). None of the approaches was particularly discriminative for root surface caries experience. Self-reported approaches are discriminative for poor oral health. Standardised assessment tools used in residential care facilities should consider including a self-assessment component such as Locker's global oral health item.

Dictive Factors of Dental Anxiety in Adult Patients at a Tertiary Dental Hospital in Nigeria

Objective: This study was designed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of dental anxiety among adult patients attending a tertiary dental hospital in Nigeria, while also identifying potential predictors of dental anxiety.&#x0D; Method: A total of 177 adult dental patients completed a self -administered questionnaire comprising socio-demographic information and other information relating to medical conditions, pain, health insurance coverage, previous dental visits and self-perception of oral health. Dental anxiety was assessed with the Modified dental anxiety scale.&#x0D; Result: The prevalence of dental anxiety was 10.73% (MDAS=19-25) with overall severity mean score of 13.36±3.41. Age and sex were associated with the level of dental anxiety (p-values of 0.027 and 0.007 respectively). Moreover, age, sex and level of education were associated with mean anxiety levels (p-values of 0.043, 0.009 and 0.015 respectively). Previous dental visits and self-perception of oral health were associated with dental anxiety (p-values of 0.034 and &lt; 0.001 respectively). Sex, marital status, previous dental visits and self-oral health perception were predictors of high dental anxiety (p-values of 0.028, 0.019, 0.033 and 0.001 respectively).&#x0D; Conclusion: Demographic factors, previous dental visits and self-perception of oral health are associated with dental anxiety. Predictors of high dental anxiety are sex, marital status, previous dental visits and self-oral health perception.

Assessing the impact of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors on oral health: a cross-sectional study in the Hungarian population.

Oral health, a critical aspect of overall well-being, is influenced by various sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, with poor oral health associated with systemic diseases and diminished quality of life. This cross-sectional study leverages data from the Hungarian European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) representative of the Hungarian population, to conduct a comprehensive examination of the intersection between these factors and oral health, aiming to identify potential risk factors and contribute to the development of targeted interventions. The research examined associations between sociodemographic/lifestyle factors and oral health. Statistical techniques included Pearson's Chi-square test, multivariate and ordinal logistic regression analyses. Weighting was applied to assure the representativeness of the population and enhance the validity of the survey results. The study identifies gender, age, education, financial status, smoking, and self-perceived oral health as key factors influencing oral health outcomes. Notably, regular dental visits significantly reduced the risk of poor oral health and caries. Females, non-smokers, university graduates, high-income individuals, and those with good self-perceived health had fewer missing teeth and better self-perceived oral health. Teeth extractions due to decay, especially when not replaced, significantly increased the perception of poor oral health, while regular dental visits improved it. The study highlights the need for personalized oral health interventions considering the different sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, along with promotion of healthy lifestyle, more frequent dental office visits and equitable dental care access. The findings offer the potential to inform regional oral health policies and prevention strategies, improving oral health and overall wellbeing.

Factors Associated with Total Edentulism in Older Adults and Their Impact on the Self-Perception of Oral Health and Food.

To identify the prevalence of and factors associated with total edentulism in the older Brazilian population and to verify whether edentulism influences self-perception of oral health and difficulty in eating. This cross-sectional, population-based study used the database of the National Health Survey conducted in Brazil. Chi-square test was initially used for data analysis. Subsequently, a multivariate analysis of Poisson multiple regression type was performed to verify the adjusted prevalence ratios. A total of 43,554 older adults participated in the study, of whom 32% had completely lost their teeth. This total edentulism, based on the multivariate analysis, was associated with female gender, advanced age, illiteracy, smoking, and lack of health insurance or dental insurance (P < .001 for all). Total edentulism had an impact on better self-perception of oral health (P < .001) and greater difficulties in eating (P &#61; .001). Total edentulism in older adults is associated with worse socioeconomic conditions and a worse lifestyle. This condition has a negative impact on diet and positively affects self-perception of oral health.

Sense of Defeat, Social Status and Oral Health among Forensic Psychiatric Patients

Abstract Aims The aim was to examine how sense of defeat and social status are related to perceived oral health, tooth brushing, and oral health-related quality of life among Dutch male forensic psychiatric patients. Methods The sample consisted of 40 hospitalized forensic psychiatric patients participated. The questionnaire included five questions about moments of tooth brushing, scales for sense of defeat and subjective social status, a scale from 1 to 10 for perceived oral health and a Dutch version of the Oral Health Impact Profile- 14 (OHIP-14). Results The results showed that on the basis of a factor analysis of the OHIP-14, three meaningful scales could be constructed, i.e., functional limitations, social discomfort, and psychological inhibitions. The major results revealed that sense of defeat correlated negatively with tooth brushing after breakfast and before going to sleep, positively with social discomfort because of one’s teeth, mouth, or dentures, not with functional limitations, and negatively with self-perceived oral health. Social status correlated positively with tooth brushing before going to sleep, with psychological inhibitions, but not with social discomfort, and neither with functional limitations. Conclusions and implications The major conclusion is that sense of defeat and social status have theoretically meaningful relations with oral self-care and oral health. Oral health professionals working with male forensic psychiatric patients should be sensitive to the sense of defeat these patients may experience, and to the fact that this may be associated with problems with their oral health and with a lack of oral self-care.

Dental Insurance Coverage, Dentist Visiting, and Oral Health Status among Asian Immigrant Women of Childbearing Age in Canada: A Comparative Study.

This study examined the dental insurance coverage, dentist visits, self-perceived oral health status, and dental problems among Asian immigrant women of childbearing age in contrast to Canadian women of childbearing age and non-Asian immigrant women of childbearing age. Potential barriers to dental care services among Asian immigrant women were explored. This analysis utilized data from the combined Canadian Community Health Survey from 2011 to 2014. The analytical sample consisted of 5737 females whose age was between 20 and 39 years. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed immigrant status and other factors in relation to the indicators of dental health (i.e., dental visit, self-perceived oral health, acute teeth issue, and teeth removed due to decay). Amongst Asian women immigrants of childbearing age, there was a significantly lower frequency of dentist visits compared to non-immigrant counterparts (OR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.37-0.76). The most commonly reported reason for not seeking dental care in the last three years was that the "respondent did not think it was necessary". Relative to Canadian born women of same age bracket, Asian women of childbearing age reported fewer acute teeth issues (OR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.49-0.91) and had a greater risk of tooth extracted due to tooth decay (OR = 3.31; 95% CI: 1.64-6.68). Furthermore, for Asian women immigrants, their major barriers to dental care included low household income (≤$39,999 vs. $40,000-$79,999 OR = 0.26) and a lack of dental insurance (no vs. yes OR = 0.33). Asian immigrant women showed lower utilization of dental services than non-immigrant women. A perceived lack of necessity, lower household income, and dental insurance coverage were major barriers to professional dental usage for most Asian immigrants of childbearing age.

Association between frailty and oral health services use in Brazilian older adults.

To assess the association between frailty and oral health services use in Brazilian older adults. This cross-sectional study analysed the baseline data from the Longitudinal Study on Brazilian Ageing (ELSI-Brazil) representative of Brazilians aged 50 or over. The outcome was oral health services used in the year prior to the interview. The main exposure variable was Frailty defined by the frailty phenotype. Age, skin colour, wealth, sex, education, type of service, health insurance, number of teeth and self-perceived oral health were included as covariates. Prevalence ratios (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance. 8405 individuals were included in this study. The prevalence of frailty was 7.5%. Regarding frailty status, the prevalence of dental service use was 47.0%, 48.5% and 4.5% for robust, pre-frail and frail individuals, respectively. Frail individuals had a 7% higher prevalence of not using dental (PR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01-1.13) than robust individuals. Frailty was independently associated with not using oral health services. Given the complexity of the determinants of dental service use, frailty adds another dimension to be examined in older adults. Public health strategies considering a common risk factor approach should be endorsed.

Adults' estimated prevalence of healthy behavior in society and self-reported oral health status and behaviors.

To assess Mashhad residents' self-perceived oral health level (OHL) and behaviors in relation to their perceptions of those of their fellow citizens. Cross-sectional telephone survey of 384 individuals recruited from communication centers. The interviews followed a validated Persian schedule with three main sections: 1) background information, 2) questions regarding self-reported OHL, and 3) questions regarding respondents' perceptions of the OHL of their fellow citizens. Participants' mean self-rated OHL and tooth brushing frequency were higher than those of their fellow citizens. The correlation between self-reported and the estimated decayed and missing (DMT) was highest in the middle and lowest in the upper classes. Perceptions of the self- and others' OHL and DMT were positively correlated, with the latter being more so. Education level, age, and tooth brushing frequency affected self-perceived OHL and DMT. Participants' perceived OHL could be explained by their estimation of the general population's oral health. These findings suggest that social norm interventions could nudge improving oral health behaviors.