Characteristics of dental attendance among Lithuanian middle-aged university employees

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate and describe the dental attendance patterns and to characterize the factors that encourage preventive dental visits among 35- to 44-year-old university employees in Lithuania.
Material and methods. A questionnaire survey was conducted anonymously among the 35- to 44-year-old employees (n=862) of four universities in Lithuania in 2005. The response rate was 64% (n=553). Data on their most recent dental visit, habitual dental attendance, and self-reported dental health were collected. Gender, marital status, education, and income levels served as background factors. Of the respondents, 79% were women, and 82% held a university degree.
Results. Of all the respondents, 75% reported having their most recent dental visit within the previous 12 months; 19% indicated a preventive check-up as the reason for it (15% – self-decided visit and 4% – dentist’s recall). The most common treatments received were fillings (75%), scaling and cleaning (28%), and endodontic treatment (22%). Analysis of the data about habitual dental attendance showed that preventive check-up as the main reason for attendance was more commonly reported by women (OR=1.7), among those who indicated having lost fewer teeth (OR=1.5), reported higher incomes (OR=1.4), and who indicated a shorter time interval since their most recent dental visit (OR=1.3).
Conclusion. Dental problem seems to be a dominant reason for dental attendance in Lithuania where both dentists’ and patients’ behavior weakly reflects preventive orientation.