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The effects of social class and dental attendance on oral health

Lookup NU author(s): Emeritus Professor Jimmy Steele CBE

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Abstract

The relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and oral health is well-established. We investigated whether the association between SES and the number of sound teeth in adults is explained by dental attendance patterns, in turn determined by the effect of SES on barriers to dental attendance. Data on 3817 participants from the 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey in the UK were analyzed. Using structural equation modeling, we found a model with 4 factors (aging, SES, attendance-profile, and barriers-to-dental-attendance) providing an adequate fit to the covariance matrix of the 9 covariates. The final model suggests that the association between SES and the number of sound teeth in adults in the UK is partially explained by the pathway [SES-→ barriers-to-dental-attendance-→ dental-attendance-profile→ number-of-sound-teeth]. A direct relationship, SES→ number-of-sound-teeth, is also significant.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Donaldson AN, Everitt B, Newton T, Steele J, Sherriff M, Bower E

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Dental Research

Year: 2008

Volume: 87

Issue: 1

Pages: 60-64

ISSN (print): 0022-0345

ISSN (electronic): 1544-0591

Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/154405910808700110

DOI: 10.1177/154405910808700110

PubMed id: 18096895

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