Dental attendance in 1998 and implications for the future
N M Nuttall1, G Bradnock2, D White3, J Morris4 & J Nunn5
In brief
The proportion of dentate adults in the UK who report attending for regular dental check-ups has risen from 43% in 1978 to 59% in 1998.
Dentate adults over 55 in 1998 were the most likely to say they attend for regular check-ups, the proportion of them reporting this has more than doubled over the last 20 years.
Almost a half (48%) of 16–24 years old in 1998 said they went to a dentist less frequently than they used to, they were also the least likely to say they attend for regular dental check-ups.
A half of dentate adults said they would like to be given an estimate of treatment costs without commitment.
The most frequent reason given for not attending for check-ups among those who only go when they have trouble with their teeth is that they do not see the point in visiting unless they have to.
Abstract
The 1998 survey of Adult Dental Health in the UK was carried out under the auspices of the Office of National Statistics together with the Universities of Birmingham, Dundee, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Wales. A key behavioural indicator in these decennial surveys is whether people say they go to a dentist for a regular dental check-up, an occasional dental check-up or only when they have trouble with their teeth. The proportion of dentate adults in the UK who report attending for regular dental check-ups has risen from 43% in 1978 to 59% in 1998. Older adults (over 55 years old) in 1998 were the most likely to say they attend for regular dental check-ups. Many younger adults (16–24) in 1998 said they went to a dentist less often than 5 years previously, they were also the least likely to say they attend for regular dental check-ups. Dental anxiety remains a problem for many dental patients but another factor of importance to many is their want to be involved in the treatment process and especially to be given an estimate of treatment costs.