Oral health behavior and attitudes of adults in Lithuania

Abstract

In Lithuania, the oral health system is currently in transition and systematic data are needed for public oral health care planning. The objectives of this study were (i) to describe the self-assessment of oral health status in Lithuanian adults, the oral hygiene practices, and dental visiting habits; (ii) to assess the attitudes towards teeth and oral health, dental care and oral health services; (iii) to determine whether oral health attitudes and behavior are affected by socio-economic factors; and (iv) to analyse the association between self-care practices and use of oral health services. The study comprised random samples of 35-44-year-olds (n = 381) and 65-74-year-olds (n = 302). Data were collected during 1997 98 by means of self-administered questionnaires and the response rate was 53%. Nearly all persons of ages 35-44 had natural teeth, whereas 14% of 65-74-year-olds were edentulous. Among the dentate persons, 45% of the young adults against 36% of the elderly claimed having poor teeth, and 66% and 55%, respectively, had experience of pain from teeth or mouth during the past year. At ages 35-44, 33% of participants reported toothbrushing at least twice a day and this was the case for 21% of 65-74-year-olds. Dental visits within the past year were indicated by 60% of young adults and 43% of the elderly; 83% of all participants reported that their last visit to the dentist was due to acute oral symptoms. In general, the participants had positive dental knowledge and attitudes; however, 56% were unaware of any effect of fluoride. The bivariate analyses showed that perceived oral health status and oral self-care practices were related to use of dental services. The multivariate analyses of dental visiting habits revealed the effects of gender, urbanization, presence of natural teeth, experience of dental problems, attitudes to dental care and dentists, and education. In conclusion, preventive dental services should be introduced and the establishment of community-based oral health promotion programs is urgently needed for Lithuania.

Periodontal Diseases in Greek Senior Citizens-Risk Indicators

“…Similar findings have been reported for the populations of Lithuania (Petersen et al, 2000) and China (Zhu et al, 2005). However, in most industrialized countries, the percentages of senior citizens claiming to use dental floss and brush teeth regularly or at least once a day were much higher (Chadwick et al; Christensen et al, 2003;Davidson et al, 1997;Murtomaa et al, 1994;Payne & Locker, 1992;Whelton et al, 2007).…”

“…In some surveys tooth brushing and/or flossing was reported as being less frequent in older age groups (Christensen et al, 2003;Davidson et al, 1997;Kelly et al, 2000;Payne & Locker, 1994;Petersen et al, 2000;Whelton et al, 2007;Zhu et al, 2005). Such a trend is confirmed by the comparison of the present results with those of Greek adults aged 35-44-years-old (Mamai-Homata et al, 2010).…”

Assessment of knowledge and attitudes to preserve oral health among older people aged 60+ in FYROM

“…The majority of respondents claimed that they use fluoride-enriched toothpaste 25,26 . The detrimental effect of using sucrose and refined sugar for oral health is well documented 27 . A general recommendation is to limit the intake of sugar, no more than 4 times daily, or to limit intake of simple sugars to less than 40 grams a day 28 .…”

Uso de serviços odontológicos por rotina entre idosos brasileiros: Projeto SB Brasil

“…O uso dos serviços odontológicos é a real quantidade de serviços consumidos quando necessidades, desejos e demandas são traduzidos em comportamento de procura por cuidados 28 . A maioria dos estudos tem investigado quais fatores estão associados ao uso de serviços odontológicos nos últimos 12 meses comparando-o ao uso em períodos maiores, sem especificação do motivo para o uso: rotina, cura ou reabilitação 13,20,21,26,29,31,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41 . Outros estudos avaliaram quais os fatores estavam associados ao uso regular 41,42 , ao uso preventivo 32 e ao uso por check up 19,43 , formas de avaliação que se aproximam da realizada nessa investigação.…”