Use of dental services among middle-aged adults: predisposing, enabling and need variables

To examine if making a visit, number of visits and services varied by predisposing (gender, perceived health competence, education, previous relief of pain visit), enabling (dental anxiety, income, social support) and need (perceived need, number of teeth and oral pain) characteristics.

Dental visiting and services data from a sample of middle-aged South Australian adults were collected from 61% of participants at 12-months (n = 603) and 59% after 24-months (n = 583). Visiting over 2-years, mean visits and mean services were analysed by log binomial and Poison regression using the Andersen and Newman model.

The percentage having a dental visit over 2-years was lower for males than females, prevalence ratio (PR, 95% CI) 0.91 (0.84, 0.99), and for higher than lower dental anxiety, PR = 0.78 (0.62, 0.98). Number of visits was associated with higher than lower income, rate ratio (RR, 95%CI) 1.20 (1.02, 1.41) but lower for those with higher social support, RR = 0.86 (0.74, 0.99). Services were lower for those with higher perceived health competence, RR = 0.72 (0.56, 0.92) but higher for those with perceived needs, RR = 1.22 (1.01, 1.46).

While need and cost factors predict dental service use, psychosocial variables such as health competence and social support also need to be considered.