Premium
Attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of older Floridians with tooth loss
Author(s) -
Gilbert Gregg H.,
Duncan R. Paul,
Crandall Lee A.,
Heft Marc W.,
Ringelberg Melvin L.
Publication year - 1993
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.1600-0528.1993.tb01104.x
Subject(s) - medicine , tooth loss , oral hygiene , dentition , dentistry , dental care , intervention (counseling) , cross sectional study , diabetes mellitus , oral health , nursing , pathology , endocrinology
–In this cross‐sectional study of Floridians aged 65 yr or older, 600 persons were interviewed to identify the characteristics of individuals who survived into old age with an intact or nearly intact dentition. Persons with total or partial tooth loss reported less frequent dental care, less ability to pay dental care fees, less frequent dental hygiene, and were more likely to have been smokers or diabetic. Persons with tooth loss also had less positive attitudes toward dentists and dental care. These cross‐sectional findings are consistent with tooth loss being the result of disease‐, behavior‐, and attitude‐related causes, and/or their interactions. Tobacco use, diabetes, and infrequent oral hygiene and dental care may increase risk for dental disease; decreased ability to pay for dental treatment may impair utilization of non‐extraction treatment options, and negative attitudes toward dental treatment may influence the desire for non‐extraction treatment options. Research targeted toward modifying attitudes toward dental treatment may be useful in preventing or delaying tooth loss, and measurement of attitudes may be a useful way to identify individuals at the greatest risk for tooth loss for intervention studies.