Attitudes to dental health and care among 20 to 25-year-old Swedes: results from a questionnaire

During the last 3 decades, large resources have been allocated through the organized dental care system for the improvement of dental health among chi ldren and teenagers in Sweden. The aim of this study tvas to describe attit udes related to dental health and dental care among 20 to 25-year-old Swede s. A random sample of 650 individuals was drawn from the database of the Na tional Social Insurance Board of Sweden. A postal questionnaire comprising 70 questions was delivered to the subjects anti the response rate was 78%. A high proportion of the respondents considered themselves to have a high n eed for dental care. They had a strong conception of being able to influenc e their own dental health. Quite a few were concerned about their dental he alth. A high proportion indicated that they were satisfied with their denta l function, but fewer individuals were satisfied with the appearance of the ir teeth. The respondents also reported good reception by their dentists, a lthough opinions differed between the sexes. Women reported a significantly higher degree of discomfort and unease than men, host respondents had adop ted good oral hygiene habits but dental ness was rarely used. The majority of subjects indicated that they attended dental examinations on an annual b asis. There is a need for further investigation into patients' attitudes to dental health and dental care. It is important to understand the significa nce patients attach to different concepts in the dental treatment. This wou ld enhance our understanding of how the concept of Felt need is expressed a nd transformed into demand for care.