2009 JUL 5 – ( NewsRx.com) — Researchers detail in ‘Dental fear and adult oral health in Australia,’ new data in periodontitis (see also Periodontitis). According to recent research from Australia, “This study aimed to investigate the association between dental fear and both dental caries and periodontal indicators. A three-stage stratified clustered sample of the Australian adult population completed a computer-assisted telephone interview followed by a clinical examination.”

“Oral health measures were the DMFT index and its components, periodontitis and gingivitis. A total of 5364 adults aged 18-91 years were dentally examined. Higher dental fear was significantly associated with more decayed teeth (DT), missing teeth (MT) and DMFT. There was an inverted ‘U’ association between dental fear and the number of filled teeth (FT). Periodontitis and gingivitis were not associated with dental fear. The association between dental fear and DMFT was significant for adults aged 18-29 and 30-44 years, but not in older ages. Dental fear was significantly associated with more DT, MT, and DMFT but with fewer FT after controlling for age, sex, income, employment status, tertiary education, dental insurance status and oral hygiene. This study helps reconcile some of the conflicting results of previous studies and establishes that dental fear is associated with more decayed and missing teeth but fewer FT,” wrote J.M. Armfield and colleagues, University of Adelaide, Australian Research Center for Population Oral Health.

The researchers concluded: “That people with higher dental fear have significantly more caries experience underlines the importance of identifying and then reducing dental fear as important steps in improving adult oral health.”

Armfield and colleagues published their study in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (Dental fear and adult oral health in Australia. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2009;37(3):220-30).

For additional information, contact J.M. Armfield, University of Adelaide, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, School of Dentistry, South Australia, Australia.

Publisher contact information for the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology is: Blackwell Publishing Inc., 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148, USA.

Keywords: Australia, Dental Caries, Dentistry, Epidemiology, Gingivitis, Periodontitis.

This article was prepared by Managed Care Law Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Managed Care Law Weekly via NewsRx.com.

periodontitis
dental plans discount

	MyDentalWebsite.com
	Enter your ZIP code to view plan details, savings information and participating dentists for all available discount dental plans in your area.
	The most dentists in combined networks ANYWHERE! Join a plan online instantly No claim forms or deductibles
				With the rising costs of dental care, finding ways to save money becomes more and more important. A great way to save money on these procedures is with the use of a discount dental plan. It's fast and easy, and you can save on all of your dental care needs! You have the freedom to choose from many quality discount dental plans. There is sure to be a plan to fit your needs and the needs of your family. There are no sign up fees, no claim forms and no deductibles. Join online instantly and start saving today!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Discount Dental Plans Coupon Article. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.