Utilization of dental services by Finnish adults in 1971 and 1980

Changes in the utilization of dental services by the adult Finnish population were studied by reanalyzing the data from a nationwide study carried out in 1971 and by comparing those results with the data from an interview study of 581 persons carried out in 1980. In 1971, 56% of the interviewees had visited a dentist within the last 12 months. The corresponding percentage was 54% in 1980. The most common reason for the latest dental visit was routine examination in 1980, and only 4% of the interviewees had been recalled by the dentist. However, the recall system, when explained, was regarded as acceptable and practical by the vast majority of the interviewees. In 1971 utilization study found that the interviewees had a positive attitude toward dental health education. Likewise, the majority of interviewees in 1980 expressed a wish to keep their own teeth for their lifetime.