The 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey included face to face interviews with p
articipants to determine their dental attitudes and behaviours, This articl
e considers reported oral hygiene practices, treatment choices, satisfactio
n with appearance of teeth, attitudes towards wearing dentures and how thes
e have changed since previous surveys. Although overall there has been a st
eady improvement in dental health attitudes, adults from disadvantaged hous
eholds are still lagging behind. This has implications for social equity.