Caries experience, dental health behaviour and social status--three comparative surveys among Danish military recruits in 1972, 1982 and 1993.

OBJECTIVE: To compare caries experience among young Danish men in 1972, 1982 and 1993; and on the same occasions to describe relationship between their utilisation of regular dental care and social status, as well as the relationship between their caries experience, utilisation of dental services and social status. DESIGN: During their routine health examinations in 1972, 1982 and 1993 all recruits enlisted in the Danish Air Force were subjected to an additional oral examination combined with a structured socio-dental questionnaire. Identical methods were applied in each of the three surveys. SETTING: Dental clinics at air bases in Denmark. SUBJECTS: 4,103 male military recruits, aged 18 to 25 years. OUTCOME MEASURES: Caries was registered in accordance with the WHO Basic Methods 1971. The questionnaire provided information on age, place of residence during childhood, social origin, and patterns of utilisation of dental services. RESULTS: The findings indicated a considerable decrease in average caries experience from 16.6 DMFT in 1972 to 11.8 in 1982 and 6.2 in 1993. The results further documented markedly increased availability of public school dental health services, the coverage rising from 33% in 1972 to 65% in 1982 and 100% in 1993, as well as moderately increased utilisation of regular dental care with private practitioners, rising from 71% in 1972 to 86% in 1982 and 84% in 1993. In 1993 as in 1982 and 1972, recruits who used the public school dental health services and also received regular dental care after their school leaving age showed the lowest average caries experience. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate a marked decrease in average caries experience and an increased utilisation of dental services among Danish young men from 1972 to 1993. However, in 1993 the least privileged social group continued to maintain the highest average caries experience and the lowest rate of utilisation of regular dental care.

Explorative study of the motives for non-utilization of the Danish Youth Care Scheme.

The present study attempted to develop an explanatory model for the lack of preventive dental behavior as demonstrated by the non-utilization of the Danish Youth Dental Care Scheme (YDCS). A focused interview was conducted with young, working class men by two carefully trained and experienced interviewers. Analysis of the interviews showed that no single factor could explain non-utilization of the YDCS. Rather a complex of factors partly on the individual social-psychologic, psychologic and economic level and partly on the social level, operating directly and indirectly with varying strength, needs to be considered. A new explanatory model for preventive dental behavior is developed and discussed in the light of recent theories on health behavior.

Utilization of the Danish Youth Dental Care Scheme among 1655 16-22-year-old males and females.

The present study attempts to establish operational criteria which can be used in the evaluation of the Youth Dental Care Scheme (YDCS) established in Denmark in 1965. The utilization of the YDCS is studied in a population of 1655 16-22-year-old males and females all of whom had attended the Public Child Dental Care in the municipality of Aarhus. Data on enrollment and use of the YDCS were collected using an official data base established with the purpose of administering the YDCS and by a mailed questionnaire. The study showed that enrollment rate was approximately 80% for those individuals who had just left Public Child Dental Care. For individuals who had left Public Child Dental Care 4-5 years earlier, the enrollment rate was 74%. Enrollment rate at a given time did, however, prove not to be a valid measure for the utilization. The study thus showed that only 65% of the individuals had been constant users for 4-5 years after they had left Public Child Dental Care. Women were more frequently constant users than men. Individuals from the higher social groups were more frequently constant users than individuals from the lower social groups.