PERCEPTIONS OF THE NATURAL DENTITION IN THE CONTEXT OF MULTIPLE-VARIABLES

Perceived oral health status has been shown to be associated with a va riety of single clinical and self-reported indicators of oral health a nd oral health-related behaviors. A behavioral model is utilized which hypothesizes that perceived condition of natural teeth is predicted b y multiple factors, including individual demographic and enabling char acteristics, other health perceptions and orientations, actual levels of diseases and conditions, and self-defined need for treatment. The d ata are from the clinical examination and adult questionnaire of Phase 1 (1988-1991) of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is based on a stratified multistage probability sample t o produce nationally representative data for the civilian, non-institu tionalized US population. Multivariate hierarchical regressions were u sed to assess perceived condition of natural teeth in two groups of de ntate adults (those with a dental visit during the past 12 months, and those with a less recent dental visit). Self-defined treatment need m ade a significant, non-trivial contribution after other variables had been controlled. In both subpopulation models, the perception of gener al health and epidemiological indicators of oral health status were al so significant factors. Socio-economic indicators did not contribute s ignificantly in either regression. Understanding components of overall perceptions of oral health moves us closer to understanding oral heal th behaviors and oral-health-related quality of life.