Dental health behaviour among 25-44-year-old Danes

The purpose of the present investigation was to describe dental health behaviour in an adult Danish population and to study whether oral hygiene habits and consumption of sweets were affected by living conditions. The study group comprised 749 persons in the age group 25-44 years (82% of the original sample) and data on general health behaviour and dental health behaviour were collected by interviews. Regular dental visits were reported by 86%, 83% declared that they brush their teeth at least twice a day and toothbrushing after breakfast was reported by 51%. Regular use of toothpicks was reported by 45%, while dental floss was used by 22%. Dental visits varied according to education, income, work in shifts, sex, and self-assessment of dental health, while toothbrushing habits were affected by urbanization, sex, education, number of children in family, and self-assessment of dental health. Daily consumption of cakes/pastry was reported by 10%, six per cent consumed chocolate/liquorice every day, while soft drinks were drunk every day by 10%. Consumption of sweets varied according to education, shift work, sex, strained life situations, and the number of children in family. Among the regular dental visitors, oral hygiene habits were also influenced by living conditions. Thus, the challenges to general dental practice as regards dental health education are great.