More people are visiting the dentist regularly, according to a joint report led by Dr Nigel Nuttall, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Dundee and published in the British Dental Journal this week.
The past twenty years has seen a steady increase in the number of people regularly attending the dentist. However, the most marked increase was among the over 55s with some teeth, who are now twice as likely to visit the dentist as they were twenty years ago.
However, although the report, which is based on a new analysis of the 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey, shows an overall rise of 16% since 1988 in adults attending the dentist, there are still many people who attend either rarely or on an as-and-when basis. The younger generation continues to be the least likely to attend regularly, with almost half of 16 to 24 year-olds saying that they visit the dentist less frequently than they used to.
While a certain number of people will never be regular visitors to the dentist, researchers have discovered some interesting reasons as to why some may be put off. Half of those asked said that they wanted to be more involved in the treatment process, especially in terms of being given an estimate of costs prior to treatment with no commitment. This is a rise of 14% since the last survey in 1988.
Researchers also found that those who said they attended the dentist only when they had trouble with their teeth were twice as likely to suffer from some form of tooth decay, and six times more likely to have some unrestorable caries (decay) than those who attend regularly.
Dr Nigel Nuttall said:
"With many respondents giving their support to drop-in centres and wanting greater involvement in their treatment plans, there is obviously great scope for an overhaul of the present system. While the research may not present a clear-cut view of dentistry at the beginning of the twenty-first century, it does provide food for thought for those formulating policy."
Notes to Editors
1. The report, Dental attendance in 1998 and implications for the
future, was published in the British Dental Journal on 24 February 2001
and written by NM Nuttall (Senior Research Fellow, University of Dundee),
G Bradnock (Senior Lecturer, University of Birmingham), D White (Lecturer,
University of Birmingham), J Morris (Lecturer, University of Birmingham)
and J Nunn (Senior Lecturer, University of Newcastle upon Tyne). A copy is
attached in PDF format. To read this you will need an Acrobat Reader,
which can be downloaded from www.adobe.com 04p177-182.pdf
2. The Adult Dental Health Survey was carried out under the auspices of the Office of National Statistics together with the Universities of Birmingham, Dundee, Newcastle upon Tyne and Wales.
3. The number of adults reporting regular attendance for dental check-ups was 59% in 1998 and 43% in 1988, a rise of 16%.
4. The number of people who said they would like an estimate of the cost of their treatment prior to it commencing rose from 36% in 1988 to 50% in 1998.
5. For media enquiries, please contact the BDA's Press & Parliamentary Department 020 7563 4580. For out of hours enquiries, please call Jo Tanner on 07710 527104.