Dental care attendance and refrainment from dental care among adults.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyse dental care utilization, refrainment from self-perceived needed dental care and the association with socioeconomic indicators among adult individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional survey included 3500 randomly selected adult individuals. Telephone interviews were conducted and the participants answered a battery of questions regarding dental visiting habits, health, socioeconomic position (SEP), behavioural factors and lifestyle indicators. RESULTS: The outcome 'dental visits' was significantly correlated with SEP, especially with monetary dimensions, such as income and economic resources for unforeseen expenditures. However, educational level was not a significant predictor in the tested statistical models. Furthermore, other covariates that contributed significantly to the models were ethnicity, dental anxiety and lifestyle factors, albeit with a different pattern of impact on the two outcome dimensions. Important features of the SEP variables were the stepwise gradient relative to the outcomes, implicating that the lower the SEP status, the greater the risk of reporting irregular dental visiting habits and refraining from dental care due to financial problems. CONCLUSIONS: Dental care utilization and refraining from dental care for financial reasons clearly reveal associations with socioeconomic positions among adult individuals.