A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Age-specific associations between dental fear and dental condition among adults in Finland
Authors: Pohjola V, Lahti S, Vehkalahti MM, Tolvanen M, Hausen H
Publication year: 2008
Journal: Acta Odontologica Scandinavica
Journal name in source: Acta odontologica Scandinavica
Journal acronym: Acta Odontol Scand
Volume: 66
Issue: 5
First page : 278
Last page: 85
Number of pages: 8
ISSN: 0001-6357
eISSN: 1502-3850
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00016350802293960
Abstract
Our objective was to study whether dental condition, measured by numbers of sound, decayed, missing, and restored teeth, was associated with dental fear, and whether age, dental attendance, and/or gender modified this association.\nThe sample (n=8,028) comprised Finnish adults aged 30 years and older and the study included people (n=6,335) who participated in a home interview and a clinical dental examination. Dental fear was measured by the question: "How afraid are you of visiting a dentist?" Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between dental fear and dental condition variables, i.e. numbers of decayed, missing, sound, and restored teeth considering the effects of age, attendance, and gender.\nWith the exception of number of restored teeth, all dental condition variables were associated with dental fear. The association between dental fear and number of decayed teeth was positive and was independent of age, gender, and attendance. Age modified the association between dental fear and number of missing and sound teeth. Among the oldest age group, the numbers of missing and sound teeth were positively associated with dental fear while being negatively associated among the youngest age group.\nPeople with high dental fear have poorer dental condition than those with lower fear. Neither gender nor dental attendance affects the association between dental fear and dental condition. The associations between dental fear and numbers of missing and sound teeth vary according to year of birth.\nOBJECTIVE\nMATERIAL AND METHODS\nRESULTS\nCONCLUSIONS
Our objective was to study whether dental condition, measured by numbers of sound, decayed, missing, and restored teeth, was associated with dental fear, and whether age, dental attendance, and/or gender modified this association.\nThe sample (n=8,028) comprised Finnish adults aged 30 years and older and the study included people (n=6,335) who participated in a home interview and a clinical dental examination. Dental fear was measured by the question: "How afraid are you of visiting a dentist?" Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between dental fear and dental condition variables, i.e. numbers of decayed, missing, sound, and restored teeth considering the effects of age, attendance, and gender.\nWith the exception of number of restored teeth, all dental condition variables were associated with dental fear. The association between dental fear and number of decayed teeth was positive and was independent of age, gender, and attendance. Age modified the association between dental fear and number of missing and sound teeth. Among the oldest age group, the numbers of missing and sound teeth were positively associated with dental fear while being negatively associated among the youngest age group.\nPeople with high dental fear have poorer dental condition than those with lower fear. Neither gender nor dental attendance affects the association between dental fear and dental condition. The associations between dental fear and numbers of missing and sound teeth vary according to year of birth.\nOBJECTIVE\nMATERIAL AND METHODS\nRESULTS\nCONCLUSIONS
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