Portuguese self‐reported oral‐hygiene habits and oral status

• Published in: International dental journal 2017-06, Vol.67 (3), p.139-147
• Main Authors: Melo, Paulo, Marques, Sandra, Silva, Orlando Monteiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Care - economics; Dental Care - standards; Dental Health Services - economics; Dental Health Services - utilization; Drinking; Ethnic Groups; Female; Gingiva; Gingival Diseases; Habits; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth, Edentulous; NHS; Older people; Oral health; Oral Health - statistics & numerical data; Oral hygiene; Oral Hygiene - economics; Oral Hygiene - psychology; Oral Hygiene - statistics & numerical data; Pain; perceptions; Portugal; Quality of life; Self Report - standards; Social Class; Statistical analysis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teeth; Tooth Loss; Toothache; Toothbrushes; Toothbrushing - psychology; visits; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0020-6539; 1875-595X
• DOI: 10.1111/idj.12273

Background Good oral health is essential for good general health and quality of life. In Portugal, there are few studies on oral‐health habits and the population's perceptions of this behaviour. Objective The main purpose of this study was to characterise the Portuguese population's self‐reported oral‐health status, habits and perceptions, as well as their demands regarding national oral health‐care services. Methods A randomised group of 1,395 individuals, > 15 years of age, was selected as a representative sample of the Portuguese population. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted, based on a structured questionnaire with closed and semi‐closed questions. The data were submitted for statistical analysis using SPSS. Results and Discussion A sample of 1,102 individuals answered the questionnaire. The great majority of the sample (97.6%) brushed their teeth daily, 70.3% had lost permanent teeth and 6.4% were edentulous. The loss of permanent teeth was statistically associated with poor oral‐hygiene habits (P < 0.01). Moreover, 50.1% of the participants had experienced difficulty eating and/or drinking, 18% had felt ashamed of the appearance of their teeth and 69.3% had experienced toothache or gingival pain. A reduction in visits to a dentist in the previous 12 months was identified mainly for people from a lower social class (31.2%) and older people (29.4%). Conclusion Evidence suggests that oral diseases might be more prevalent in Portuguese adults than the European average. Efforts should be made to promote good oral‐hygiene habits among older people and people from lower social classes.