Key Points
In brief
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Over half (51%) of dentate adults reported that an oral problem of some sort had affected them occasionally or more frequently in the 12 months preceding the survey.
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The most frequently experienced problem among dentate adults during the 12 months preceding the survey was oral pain (40%).
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The next most frequently experienced problems stemming from oral condition were psychological in nature (self-consciousness, feeling tense, difficulty relaxing or embarrassment)
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Eight per cent of dentate adults reported being severely affected by their oral health in that they felt their life was less satisfying or that they were totally unable to function at some time in the preceding year as a result of their oral condition.
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Many who had said they had experienced an oral problem in the preceding year had not gone to a dentist for treatment.
Abstract
Knowledge of the extent of dental disease gives a clinical indication of the experience of dental problems but it does not necessarily reflect the problems that people experience as a result of their dentition. It is becoming increasingly appreciated that the way a disease affects people's lives is just as important as epidemiological measures of its prevalence or incidence. The 1998 Adult Dental Health survey is the first of the decennial series of UK adult dental health surveys to use and report a measure of the self-perceived impact on people of the dental and periodontal diseases and other oral conditions. Over half (51%) of dentate adults said they had been affected in some way by their oral health, and in 8% of cases the impact was sufficient to have reduced their quality of life.
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References
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Acknowledgements
This article has been refereed under the British Dental Journal reviewing process. Full details of sample numbers and the criteria for the clinical examinations can be found in the survey report. We would like to acknowledge the work of Alison Walker, Maureen Kelly and other staff of the Office for National Statistics. This work was undertaken by a consortium comprising the Office for National Statistics and the Dental Schools of the Universities of Birmingham, Dundee, Newcastle and Wales who received funding from the United Kingdom Health Departments; the views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Health Departments nor of the other members of the consortium. Nigel Nuttall acknowledges support from the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive who do not necessarily share the views expressed.
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Nuttall, N., Steele, J., Pine, C. et al. The impact of oral health on people in the UK in 1998. Br Dent J 190, 121–126 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800901
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800901
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