Changing patterns of attitudes and oral health behaviour

In the past, dental diseases were extremely common in the Scandinavian populations and the tooth loss figures appalling. Developments during the last few decades have led to a high standard of living, a high dentist-population ratio, increased public economic support for dental care and preventive dental care programmes for children. These have contributed to a drastic decrease in caries frequency and severity among the younger groups. Data concerning changes in periodontal disease activity are sparse, but there are indications that more natural teeth are being retained longer. Since prevention and control of periodontal disease is highly dependent upon personal behaviour, investigations of what people know, think and do about the role of the individual in disease control are important to future strategies. This review indicates that the Scandinavian populations have a fair knowledge of dental diseases and the individual's own role in prevention. Most people know what constitutes appropriate daily oral hygiene practice but a gap between knowledge and actual performance is apparently quite common. There is evidence, however, that the frequency of toothbrushing is increasing; so is interdental cleaning, even though the present level is unsatisfactory. The frequency of dental visits is also increasing and it is predicted that more people with more teeth will seek dental care in the future. Regular dental care during childhood seems to be a strong predictor of dental visit patterns and dental health status later in life. The improvements in dental health habits and associated phenomena have resulted in the retention of more teeth in older subjects. This may mean more teeth at risk to periodontal disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)