Dental care behaviour in Switzerland

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Dental Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Oral health care needs are evolving due to improvements in dental health.
• Understanding current dental visit patterns and oral hygiene practices is crucial for adapting healthcare provision.
• Temporal trends provide insights into long-term changes in dental care utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the frequency and primary reasons for dental visits in Switzerland.
• To evaluate personal oral hygiene measures and their prevalence.
• To analyze temporal trends in dental visit frequency from 1992 to 2012.

Main Methods:

• Utilized weighted data from the 2012 Swiss Health Survey.
• Quantified dental visit frequency, reasons for visits, and oral hygiene practices.
• Compared 2012 dental visit data with previous national surveys (1992–2007).

Main Results:

• Nearly two-thirds of individuals visited a dentist, and almost half saw a dental hygienist in the prior year.
• Voluntary check-ups (33%) and recall visits (25%) were the most common reasons for dental attendance.
• Prevalence of dental implants and dental hygienist visits increased since 2002, but oral hygiene measures remained consistent.
• Oral health awareness was higher in women and individuals with higher socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

• Dental visits in Switzerland are frequent, with check-ups dominating over treatment-specific needs.
• Despite rising use of dental implants and hygienist services, fundamental oral hygiene practices show little change.
• Oral health awareness and practices correlate with demographic and socioeconomic factors.