Periodontal awareness among adult Finns in 1972 and 1990

Abstract

Surveys were conducted in 1972 and 1990 to analyze conceptions among Finns of their own periodontal status. The interview samples, drawn to represent the Finnish population, aged 15 years and more, comprised 965 persons in 1972 and 1,006 in 1990. After excluding edentulous individuals, a total of 732 in 1972 and 853 in 1990 were accepted for the interview study. In 1990, 2% of the respondents stated that they currently had gingivitis, the percentage being highest in the youngest age group (6%). In both years there were no statistically significant differences between the age, education, and residence subgroups with regard to gingivitis: nearly 60% of those in all subgroups claimed that they had never had gingivitis. The proportions of those who had never experienced gingival bleeding were 54% in 1972 and 50% in 1990. During the first observation period the youngest age group (15-24 years) was the only one in which the increment in self-recognized gingivitis was accompanied by a higher proportion experiencing gingival bleeding. The overall low prevalence of self-recognized gingivitis is at variance with the estimated periodontal treatment need according to Finnish clinical epidemiologic data. Our results indicate that knowledge concerning periodontal disease is still poor in Finland.

Oral health knowledge and dental health practices among schoolchildren in Jerash district/Jordan

“…Furthermore, female preference for fluoridated toothpaste is significantly higher than that of their male counterparts ( P < 0.001), and they tend to brush their teeth more frequently and regularly, once or twice per day, than male students ( P < 0.001 and 0.005, respectively). These findings confirm that gender remains an important factor associated with the level of oral health awareness and practices, which is in agreement with previous findings from several European and Middle Eastern countries (19–22).…”

Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Periodontal Health Among Parents of Pedodontic Patients

“…9 This can be achieved by improving the knowledge and awareness about periodontal conditions by dental health education. 10 In our study, only 47.4% of the parents reported that bleeding indicates the presence of inflamed gums. Likewise, according to Brady, 73.0% of the patients with periodontal disease did not know that they had the disease.…”

Oral self‐care among adults with diabetes in Finland

“…Information about the relation between diabetes and periodontal diseases was a significant cognitive determinant to frequent dental visits. The rate of those who agreed that they had received insufficient information about prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases from dental professionals (35%) coincides with the fact that general knowledge about periodontal diseases is poor among adult population in Finland (32).…”

“…To diminish any effect of social desirability, the instructions at the top of the questionnaire advised participants to answer according to their first impulse when hesitating between alternatives. The items in the questionnaire have been successfully used earlier (25, 32, 35–38), which facilitated the comparability of the present results. There seems to be room for improvement of oral self‐care among individuals with diabetes in Finland.…”