The objective of this study was to describe the self-perceived need for and utilization of dental care in Indonesia. Using secondary data from the Indonesian National Socio Economic Survey, 2006 (n = 1,107,594) and 2007 (n = 1,167,019), we estimated the proportion of perceived need for and utilization of dental care. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to describ...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to understand engagement with and availability of dental services among people living with HIV in a low-income community of South Africa. METHODS In depth qualitative interviewing was used to collect data, which was analyzed using an inductive content analytical approach. The study was conducted in Gugulethu, a township community located outside of Ca...

BACKGROUND The current public health research agenda was to identify the means to reduce oral health inequalities internationally. The objectives of this study were to provide evidence of inequality in unmet dental needs and to find influencing factors attributable to those among South Korean adults. METHODS Pooled cross-sectional data from the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Exam...

OBJECTIVES This analysis describes the dental self-care behaviors used by a multiethnic sample of older adults and delineates the associations of self-care behaviors with personal characteristics and oral health problems. METHODS A cross-sectional comprehensive oral health survey conducted with a random, multiethnic (African-American, American Indian, white) sample of 635 community-dwelling r...

Protective measures against occupational exposure to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) must be taken in order to prevent infection in dental care workers. To determine the best way to protect these workers, our study examined viral hepatitis infection in dental care workers in regions with a high prevalence of HCV infections in Japan. In total, 141 dental care workers (inc...

This study explored the association between area-level primary dental care performance and area-level demographics, dental treatment need, and health care service indicators. An ecological cross-sectional study was performed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2010. The 142 primary health care (PHC) units were grouped based on the following variables: access to individual dental treatment, frequency ...

BACKGROUND Few data are available concerning dental care in older adults with schizophrenia. The authors examined the utilization of dental care and factors related to dental treatment in this population. METHODS The sample consisted of 198 community-dwelling participants 55 years and older with schizophrenia and a community comparison group of 113 participants. The authors adapted a model of...

Ensuring access to dental care, particularly for children, is a significant policy concern in the United States. Many factors affect access on both the provider and patient sides. This study examines an important factor in the ability to access dental care: the distribution and availability of dental health providers. The authors assess providers across the counties of Pennsylvania, primarily u...

Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, and the subsequent National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health contributed significantly to raising the awareness of the American public and the dental profession regarding the lack of access to oral health care by many Americans, especially minorities and low income populations, with resulting disparities in oral health. The problem i...

This paper reviews the healthcare system, available dental care, and oral health status of people in Pakistan. Considering the enormous unmet oral health needs, the insufficient supply of dental professionals and the current unstructured dental hygiene curriculum in Pakistan, a mission, vision, and goals for professional dental hygiene in Pakistan is recommended. The authors offer recommendatio...