Key Points
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Attitudes towards dental health are more positive than in previous surveys of adult dental health
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Basic oral health messages are now well embedded in the folklore of the UK community
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Seventy-nine per cent of adults said they would rather have an aching back tooth filled than extracted
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Sixty-one per cent of adults with no denture experience were very upset at the thought of wearing full dentures
Abstract
The 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey included face to face interviews with participants to determine their dental attitudes and behaviours. This article considers reported oral hygiene practices, treatment choices, satisfaction with appearance of teeth, attitudes towards wearing dentures and how these have changed since previous surveys. Although overall there has been a steady improvement in dental health attitudes, adults from disadvantaged households are still lagging behind. This has implications for social equity.
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References
Nuttall N M, Bradnock G, White D A, Morris J, Nunn J H . Dental attendance in 1998 and implications for the future. Br Dent J 2001; 190: 122–127.
Steele J S, Treasure E T, Pitts N B, Morris A J, Bradnock G . Total tooth loss in the United kingdom in 1998 and implications for the future. Br Dent J 2000; 189: 598–603.
Kelly M, Steele J, Nuttall N, Bradnock G, Morris J, Nunn J, Pine C, Pitt N, Treasure E, White D . Adult dental health survey: Oral health in the United Kingdom 1998. London, The Stationary Office 2000.
Acknowledgements
This article has been refereed under the British Dental Journal reviewing process. Full details of sample numbers can be found in the survey report. We would like to acknowledge the work ofAlison 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.
This article is the final paper in the adult dental health survey practice series.
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Bradnock, G., White, D., Nuttall, N. et al. Dental attitudes and behaviours in 1998 and implications for the future. Br Dent J 190, 228–232 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800935
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800935
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