ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed to evaluate the correlation between self-reported oral health and caries experience, and to find out factors that affect perceived oral health status and treatment need in Korean male soldiers aged 18 to 24. METHODS: The cross-sectional oral health examination and questionnaire survey about the attitude of oral health were conducted (n=2,436). The survey contained self-reported oral health status, self-reported dental treatment need and associated factors. RESULTS: Caries experience like DMFT, DT, FT, and MT indices were significantly different by selfreported oral health status, as well as the self-perceived dental treatment need (P<0.005). Experience rates of 'tooth pain', 'periodontal pain', 'tooth hypersensitiveness', 'gingival bleeding', 'tooth cavity', 'oral malodor', 'need prophylaxis', 'former dental treatment', 'smoking' and 'scaling' were different by selfreported oral health status and self-perceived dental treatment need (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Subjective oral health perception reflected objective oral health status and other oral health related factors.