ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Primary care physicians have been reported to be the first choice for patients with oral ulcerations. This study investigates the health-seeking behaviour of lay public in Galicia (North-western Spain) if experiencing a long-standing oral ulceration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional population-based survey of randomly selected respondents conducted from March 1, 2015 to 30 June 2016. RESULTS: A total of 5,727 pedestrians entered the study (response rate: 53%), mostly in the 45-64 age group (30.2%; n = 1,728), 47.7% of them (n = 2,729) were males. Most participants (42.1%; n = 2,411) reported to visit their dentist once a year and had secondary or compulsory education as their highest educational achievement (28.18%, n = 1,614; 28%, n = 1,600 respectively).When questioned what they would do if they had a wound/ulceration lasting longer than 3 weeks, most participants answered they would go to see their primary care physician (62.8%; n = 3,597) and less than one quarter of the sample (23.8%; n = 1,371) would seek consultation with their dentist. CONCLUSIONS: General Galician population would seek professional consultation about a long-standing oral ulceration, relying mostly on primary care physicians. Those neglecting these lesions are elderly, less-schooled people and unaware of oral cancer
Nodisponible
