Premium
Adolescent with caries and experienced interaction with dental staff
Author(s) -
Mattila MarjaLeena,
Rautava Päivi,
Saarinen Maiju,
Tolvanen Mimmi,
Ojanlatva Ansa,
Jaakkola Sirkka,
Aromaa Minna,
Sillanpää Matti
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of paediatric dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.183
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1365-263X
pISSN - 0960-7439
DOI - 10.1111/ipd.12435
Subject(s) - medicine , dental health , confounding , family medicine , dentistry , pathology
Summary Background There is a lack of studies about how adolescents experience the interaction during dental visits. The experienced interaction during dental visits will influence how adolescents take care of their oro‐dental health, and how they attend at the dentist's office. Aim To explore the interaction experiences during dental visits of 18‐year‐olds with or without a history of caries. Design The dental health status at age 15 years was used as a predictor of subsequent interaction experiences with the dental staff. The dental health status was assessed by the Decayed Missed Filled Teeth index and interaction experiences by the Patient Dental Staff Interaction Questionnaire. Results Adolescents with a history of caries experienced the interaction at dental visits significantly more often negatively than adolescents with healthy teeth. The association was significant after adjustment for potential confounding factors (sense of coherence, gender, and duration of maternal basic education). Conclusions Understanding, encouraging, and appropriate interaction with adolescents with caries may make patients more positive and receptive for treatment and self‐care.