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Use of preschool dental services in a New Zealand birth cohort
Author(s) -
Beautrais A. L.,
Fergusson D. M.,
Shan F. T.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1982.tb00388.x
Subject(s) - medicine , attendance , ethnic group , cohort , context (archaeology) , dental care , family medicine , cohort study , nursing , paleontology , pathology , sociology , anthropology , economics , biology , economic growth
The utilisation of preschool dental services was examined prospectively in a birth cohort of New Zealand 4‐year‐old children. There were highly significant associations between non‐utilisation of dental care services and a series of measures of family social background and the quality of care provided to the child. Factors associated with increased risks of non‐utilisation of dental services included: mother of non‐European ethnic origin; low gross family income; single parent family; non‐attendance at preschool education facilities; failure to attend community nurse services and a lower utilisation of routine child health care services including immunisations and routine postnatal checks. The implications of the non‐utilisation of preschool dental care are discussed in the context of the more general problem of providing an adequate and equitable standard of health care for children.