[Dental care frequency of female patients in the Netherlands]

Investigate whether there are differences between men and women in dental attendance and in the consumption of dental care.

Descriptive analysis, using SPSS (ANOVA, NPAR TEST), based on information on the treatments that are performed for dentate patients.

Department of Research (afd. O&I) of the Dutch Dental Association (NMT), Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.

From the practice-administration of 202 dentists, anonymous information was gathered on the treatments these dentists performed for 7698 dentate patients in the years 1993 to 1996.

The results indicate that for young people there is only a difference in relation to fillings: girls receive fewer fillings than boys. For adults, however, more differences are apparent. First of all, women visit the dentist for a routine check-up somewhat more often than men. In addition, more X-rays are taken, more instruction is given on oral hygiene and more crowns are made for women, while they receive fewer fillings.

Adult women and adult men show differences in dental attendance and consumption. These differences are, albeit partially, explained by the fact that adult women are proportionally more often insured for dental costs via the national health service.