Resumo

GIBILINI, Cristina et al. Access to dental services and self-perception of oral health in adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2010, vol.46, n.4, pp. 213-223. ISSN 1516-0939.

Understanding and identifying the conditions and self-perception of oral health of people contributes positively to the planning and implementation of actions and programs. The purpose of this study was to describe the caries experience, the terms of access to dental services, and the self-perception of oral health, as well as to verify the association of clinical conditions inherent within self-perception in adolescents, adults, and the elderly in the state of Sao Paulo. The sample corresponded to 1,824 adolescents (15-19 years of age), 1,612 adults (35-44 years of age), and 781 elderly (65-74 years of age). Dental examinations were carried out in homes, using criteria from the World Health Organization; information about access to services and self-perceptions were obtained through interviews. Data were described and analyzed using the chi-square test with a 95% confidence interval. The DMFT index corresponded to 28.6 for the elderly, 20.9 for adults, and 6.5 for adolescents. Regarding access to dental services and time since last dental visit, the highest frequency was less than 1 year for teenagers (60.1%) and adults (47.9%), and over 3 years (58.5 %) for elderly patients. Adolescents with less experience of dental caries, i.e., DMFT below the average, accounted for 54.8%, while the proportion of adults with 20 or more teeth was 64.3% and the prevalence of edentulism was 59.9%. Self-perception was similar among the groups, with the exception of the elderly and presented positive data for adolescents and adults who had a greater contact with favorable clinical conditions. Given these results, it becomes necessary to implement actions for effective programs concerning education and prevention, with emphasis on retaining teeth for adults and the elderly. For teens, who commonly showed a better oral health than that found among adults and the elderly, the control and maintenance of oral health is a greater priority.

Palavras-chave : Dental care; Public health dentistry; Oral health; Epidemiology.