Age and culture: influences on oral health behaviour

The role of patient age and cultural background in predicting dental service utilisation and self-care behaviours is discussed in the context of a person-environment model of oral health. This model suggests that dental behaviours are a function of patient characteristics such as age, gender, culture, perceived dental needs and health beliefs, as well as characteristics of the dental delivery system such as cost, availability of third party payment systems and the accessibility of dentists who are viewed by patients as understanding and sympathetic to their needs. Each of these elements of person and environment is reviewed, with examples of research that has found associations between them and consequent dental behaviours.