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Oral health and family characteristics of children attending private or public dental clinics
Author(s) -
Woodward Graham L.,
Leake James L.,
Main Patricia A.
Publication year - 1996
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.1600-0528.1996.tb00855.x
Subject(s) - medicine , family medicine , logistic regression , oral health , private practice , dental care , public health , dental health , dental practice , dental public health , oral health care , dentistry , immigration , family history , nursing , archaeology , history , radiology
The City of North York Public Health Department (NYPHD) operates a school‐based dental programme that provides preventive and treatment services to children according to evidence‐based practice guidelines. This programme and private dental practices (PDP) represent the only sources of dental care for children in North York. The purpose of our study was to compare the oral health and family characteristics of clients from the NYPHD and PDP using a dental examination and a parent interview. Results showed that NYPHD and PDP clients had similar levels of lluorosis, calculus, and periodontal health, but NYPHD clients had experienced greater levels of decay. Clients of the NYPHD and PDP also had significantly different family characteristics, many of which were significantly associated with the presence of one or more decayed primary or permanent teeth. Multivariate logistic regression identified mother's immigration history, past caries experience, and parents' rationale for scheduling their child's dental appointments as the principle risk makers for dental decay. When compared with PDP clients, the NYPHD serves higher‐needs children who otherwise might not receive care.