Oral health behavior and attitudes of adults in Lithuania

In Lithuania, the oral health system is currently in transition and systematic data are needed for public oral health care planning. The objectives of this study were (i) to describe the self-assessment of oral health status in Lithuanian adults, the oral hygiene practices, and dental visiting habits; (ii) to assess the attitudes towards teeth and oral health, dental care and oral health services; (iii) to determine whether oral health attitudes and behavior are affected by socio-economic factors; and (iv) to analyse the association between self-care practices and use of oral health services. The study comprised random samples of 35-44-year-olds (n = 381) and 65-74-year-olds (n = 302). Data were collected during 1997-98 by means of self-administered questionnaires and the response rate was 53%. Nearly all persons of ages 35-44 had natural teeth, whereas 14% of 65-74-year-olds were edentulous. Among the dentate persons, 45% of the young adults against 36% of the elderly claimed having poor teeth, and 66% and 55%, respectively, had experience of pain from teeth or mouth during the past year. At ages 35-44, 33% of participants reported toothbrushing at least twice a day and this was the case for 21% of 65-74-year-olds. Dental visits within the past year were indicated by 60% of young adults and 43% of the elderly; 83% of all participants reported that their last visit to the dentist was due to acute oral symptoms. In general, the participants had positive dental knowledge and attitudes; however, 56% were unaware of any effect of fluoride. The bivariate analyses showed that perceived oral health status and oral self-care practices were related to use of dental services. The multivariate analyses of dental visiting habits revealed the effects of gender, urbanization, presence of natural teeth, experience of dental problems, attitudes to dental care and dentists, and education. In conclusion, preventive dental services should be introduced and the establishment of community-based oral health promotion programs is urgently needed for Lithuania.     

Oral health behavior and attitudes of adults in Lithuania

In Lithuania, the oral health system is currently in transition and systematic data are needed for public oral health care planning. The objectives of this study were (i) to describe the self-assessment of oral health status in Lithuanian adults, the oral hygiene practices, and dental visiting habits; (ii) to assess the attitudes towards teeth and oral health, dental care and oral health services; (iii) to determine whether oral health attitudes and behavior are affected by socio-economic factors; and (iv) to analyse the association between self-care practices and use of oral health services. The study comprised random samples of 35-44-year-olds (n = 381) and 65-74-year-olds (n = 302). Data were collected during 1997 98 by means of self-administered questionnaires and the response rate was 53%. Nearly all persons of ages 35-44 had natural teeth, whereas 14% of 65-74-year-olds were edentulous. Among the dentate persons, 45% of the young adults against 36% of the elderly claimed having poor teeth, and 66% and 55%, respectively, had experience of pain from teeth or mouth during the past year. At ages 35-44, 33% of participants reported toothbrushing at least twice a day and this was the case for 21% of 65-74-year-olds. Dental visits within the past year were indicated by 60% of young adults and 43% of the elderly; 83% of all participants reported that their last visit to the dentist was due to acute oral symptoms. In general, the participants had positive dental knowledge and attitudes; however, 56% were unaware of any effect of fluoride. The bivariate analyses showed that perceived oral health status and oral self-care practices were related to use of dental services. The multivariate analyses of dental visiting habits revealed the effects of gender, urbanization, presence of natural teeth, experience of dental problems, attitudes to dental care and dentists, and education. In conclusion, preventive dental services should be introduced and the establishment of community-based oral health promotion programs is urgently needed for Lithuania.     

Oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of children and adolescents in China

Objectives : A national representative study to describe oral health behaviour, illness behaviour, oral health knowledge and attitudes among 12‐year‐old and 18‐year‐old Chinese, to analyse the oral health behaviour profile of the two age groups in relation to province and urbanisation, and to assess the relative effect of socio‐behavioural risk factors on dental caries experience. Methods : The total number of 4,400 of each age group were selected and data were collected by clinical examinations (WHO criteria) and self‐administered structured questionnaires. Results : 44.4% of the respondents brushed their teeth at least twice a day but only 17% used fluoridated toothpaste. Subjects who saw a dentist during the previous 12 months or two years were 31.3% and 35.3% for 12‐year‐olds and 22.5% and 20.2% for 18‐year‐olds, respectively. Nearly one third (29%) of 12 year‐olds and 40.5% of 18‐year‐olds would visit a dentist in case of signs of caries but only when in pain. Nearly half of the participants (47.2%) had never received any oral health care instruction. Significant variations in oral health practices were found according to province and regular dental care habits were more frequent in urban than in rural areas. The risk of dental caries was high in the case of frequent consumption of sweets and dental caries risk was low for participants with use of fluoridated toothpaste. Conclusion : Systematic community‐oriented oral health promotion programmes are needed to target lifestyles and the needs of children, particularly for those living in rural areas. A prevention‐oriented oral health care policy would seem more advantageous than the present curative approach.     

Present state of dental health knowledge, attitudes/behaviour and perceived oral health of Japanese employees

The aim of this survey was to assess the present state of dental health knowledge, attitudes/behaviour and perceived oral health of Japanese employees. A 60-item questionnaire was used in a dental health project in the work place. The subjects comprised 77,845 employees, 76 per cent of whom reported delaying a dental visit until they had toothache, with about 60 per cent delaying even when they discovered a decayed tooth. The majority did not regard decayed teeth as a disease and only a minority reported regular dental visits. About three quarters reported bleeding gums on brushing, although more than half had never been taught professionally how to clean their teeth and less than 5 per cent flossed daily. More than half believed that false teeth were inevitable in old age, and that their teeth were getting worse despite daily brushing. About 70 per cent of the employees thought that it was impossible to prevent gum disease with toothbrushing alone, and nearly half believed a toothpaste with fluoride was effective in preventing periodontal disease. Reorientation of oral health care in Japan, therefore, is urgently needed and dental services have to be provided for the implementation of systematic oral health promotion for employees in the workplace.     

Socio‐economic status,social support,social network,dental status,and oral health reported outcomes in adolescents

This study explored the relationships between sex, socio‐economic status, social support, social network, dental clinical status, dental pain, oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL), and self‐rated oral health (SROH) in adolescents. A cross‐sectional study involving 542 adolescents, aged 12–14 yr, was conducted in Dourados, Brazil, to collect dental clinical measures (dental caries, missing teeth, and dental trauma), as well as measures of social support, social network, dental pain, OHRQoL, and SROH. Information on family income and parental education were collected from participant's parents. Structural equation modeling showed that higher income predicted better dental status and better SROH. Greater social support was linked to better dental status and better OHRQoL. Having more social networks was directly linked to better dental status. Poor dental status was linked to dental pain and poor OHRQoL. Dental pain predicted poor OHRQoL and worse SROH. Poor OHRQoL predicted worse SROH. Family income, social support, and social networks indirectly predicted dental pain via dental status. The latter was indirectly linked to OHRQoL and SROH via dental pain. Social support and social networks indirectly predicted OHRQoL and SROH via dental status and dental pain. Socio‐economic factors and social relationships should be considered when planning health promotion and dental care provision to improve an adolescent's oral health.     

Behavioral dental science. Part VIII. The dentist's rating and adolescents' perceptions of oral health

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first objective was to measure the periodontal status and perceptions of oral health in adolescents. The second objective was to determine the effects that a program of dental health education would have on their periodontal status and perceptions of oral health. The dental health education with a 90-minute lecture had been given to eleventh-grade students (352) in the previous year. The dental health education program was not carried out in tenth-grade students (442) yet. The oral examination was performed by a dentist for both grades. The examination time was about ten seconds per person. The students' periodontal status was scored as "excellent (+2)," "good (+1)," "questionable (0)," "poor (-1)," or "very poor (-2)" according to the criteria of an Oral Rating Index (ORI) System proposed by the present authors. The level of students' perceptions was assessed by the cognition score of our dental health test (10 items concerning dental attitudes and behavior). Main results were as follows: 1. Only 6% of the 10-th grade students were judged as having "excellent (+2)" oral health. Thirty-six percent were "very poor (-2)" or "poor (-1)" periodontal status. 2. The mean cognition score and the mean ORI score of the 11-th grade students were significantly greater for each sex group than those of the 10-th grade students. 3. The cognition score showed a clear relationship to the ORI score in each grade and in all. The behavioral component of the cognition score was more closely related to the ORI score. These findings suggest that the dental health education contributes to the improvement of periodontal status as well as that of perceptions. Furthermore, the ORI may be utilized for a screening system to evaluate adolescents' periodontal status quickly and effectively.     

Factors associated with perceived oral health status in older individuals

AIM: To assess factors associated with perception of oral health in older individuals. DESIGN: A cross sectional study. SETTING: A densely populated urban area in Sri Lanka. PARTICIPANTS: 585 older adults aged 60 years and above of which 475 were living at home and 110 in institutions. The present analysis is limited to 235 subjects who were subjected to a clinical oral examination. METHOD: The data were collected by means of an interviewer-administered questionnaire and a clinical oral examination. RESULTS: Overall, 48% of the dentate and 42% of the edentate perceived their oral health as poor. The final model of the hierarchical logistic regression analysis for the dentate revealed that presence of retained roots, mobile teeth, >20 missing teeth and perceived need for dental care were significantly associated with poor perceived oral health status. For the edentate, perceived need for dental care, loss of taste sensation and difficulty in eating were significantly associated with poor perceived oral health status. CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with perceived oral health status differed between the dentate and the edentate. Clinical oral health indicators emerged as significant predictors of perceived oral health status in the dentate although the explanatory power of these indicators on perception of oral health was low.     

重庆市4~17岁孤儿口腔健康现状调查分析

目的 了解重庆市4~17岁孤儿口腔健康现状及其流行趋势,为制定孤儿口腔保健计划提供依据。方法 根据第三次全国口腔健康流行病学抽样调查方案,抽取重庆市江北区某儿童福利院孤儿为调查对象,对该福利院317名孤儿进行口腔健康检查,记录龋齿、牙龈出血和牙结石情况。采用SPSS 17.0软件对数据进行统计分析。结果 重庆市岁孤儿乳牙和恒牙的患龋率及龋均分别为50.00%、1.94±2.81和39.53%、0.90±1.38,男女之间差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。恒牙患龋率 12岁及以下年龄组与12岁以上年龄组间有统计学差异（P<0.05）。第一恒磨牙患龋率为35.25%,女性高于男性（P<0.05）。龋齿充填率及第一恒磨牙窝沟封闭率均为0.00%。牙龈出血检出率为78.22%,牙结石检出率为67.66%。结论 重庆市4~17岁孤儿口腔健康现状不佳,牙科服务利用率极低,在今后的工作中,应将这部分人群纳入口腔健康预防保健的重点人群之列。     

Oral health status of prison inmates--New South Wales, Australia

BACKGROUND: This paper assesses the oral health status in a prison population and identifies risk factors associated with oral health. METHODS: Cross-sectional stratified random sample of 789 prisoners (657 males and 132 females) from 27 correctional centres across New South Wales, stratified by sex, age and aboriginality. A face to face interview was used to collect information on health status and behavioural risk factors. A subset of participants (312 males and 22 females) received an oral examination which enabled the decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth (DMFT) score to be calculated. RESULTS: In the last 12 months 391 (50 per cent) inmates had visited a dentist. Reports on treatment received at this last visit were mainly for dental examinations, (62 per cent), dental fillings, (38 per cent), and dental extractions (28 per cent). Self-reported dental needs indicated that 42 per cent perceived the need for a check-up; the perceived need for dental fillings was highest in females compared with males. The mean DMFT for the population was 20.4 and 3.4 for decayed teeth. CONCLUSIONS: This survey demonstrates that the standard of past oral health care for prison inmates is low. There is a need to be more attentive to oral health promotion as eventually respondents will be returning to the community.     

Oral health status and oral health knowledge,attitudes and behavior among rural children in Shaanxi,western China: a cross-sectional survey

Background

The current oral health status and possible dental risk factors among children in rural Shaanxi Province, western China are unreported. This study aimed to describe the oral health status and to analyze the possible risk factors for the oral health status in this population.

Methods

A multi-stage cluster sampling method was used to survey 12- to 15-year-olds and 4- to 6-year-olds in villages in Shaanxi Province. The structured questionnaires were provided to the 12- to 15-year-olds and to the caregivers of the 4- to 6-year-olds to collect information on the subjects’ oral health knowledge, attitudes and behavior. A clinical examination was performed to assess dental caries and gingival bleeding (only 12- to 15-year-olds). SPSS 17.0 statistical software was used to analyze the data.

Results

The decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index scores of 12- to 15-year-olds and 4-to 6-year-olds averaged 0.45 and 3.05, respectively. The caries prevalence was 23.9% in 12- to 15-year-olds and 67% in 4-to 6-year-olds. Additionally, 45.2% of the 12- to 15-year-olds had gingival bleeding and 62.8% had calculus. The oral health knowledge of the subjects was generally poor, whereas they held very positive attitudes toward oral health. A low number of participants reported that they brushed their teeth at least twice daily. Moreover, a statistically significant relationship was found between oral health knowledge scores, tooth brushing frequency and DMFT scores as well as gingival bleeding in the 12- to 15-year-olds. Frequency of sweets consumption was strongly related to dmft scores in the 4- to 6-year-olds.

Conclusion

The oral health status, oral health knowledge and behaviors among village children in Shaanxi Province are poor. Oral health education to improve oral health knowledge and to increase the frequency of tooth brushing should be undertaken in the rural schools in western China.

     

Self-reported gingival conditions and self-care in the oral health of Danish women during pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to describe the self-assessment of gingival health conditions in pregnant women, their oral hygiene behaviour and dental visiting habits, and to analyse self-care practices of pregnant women in relation to perceived gingival problems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group comprised 1935 pregnant women living in two areas of Denmark consecutively recruited from August 1998 to March 1999. The survey data were based on telephone interviews. Questions in the interview concerned general health, lifestyles, socioeconomic conditions, gingival conditions, oral hygiene and utilisation of dental health services. RESULTS: One-third of the study population perceived signs of gingival inflammation; 5% of the pregnant women assessed their gingiva as poor, while 95% reported good or "normal" gingival condition. Ninety six per cent brushed their teeth at least twice a day and nine out of 10 were regular users of the dental-care system. Twenty-seven per cent of those women with pregnancy gingivitis responded to the symptoms by, for example, seeing a dentist or intensifying the oral hygiene habits. CONCLUSION: Despite a high level of self-efficacy among the pregnant women as for oral health and oral health care combined with a high level of oral hygiene and dental visiting habits, there seems to be a substantial need for increased awareness of gingival oral health.     

Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chinese adults.

Only recently have behavioral aspects been taken into consideration in oral health studies in China; thus, relevant information on perceptions in adult Chinese about oral health care is inadequate. In 1996-97, a large-scale oral epidemiological study was conducted in Southern China. Among its objectives were to describe the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the urban and rural adults living in Southern China and to analyze the influence of selected demographic and socio-economic factors. From 8 urban and 8 rural communities in Guangdong Province, 1,573 35- to 44-year-olds and 1,515 65- to 74-year-olds were sampled. Specially trained interviewers from the staff of local government or hospitals conducted face-to-face structured interviews. Almost all of the middle-aged and more than 90% of the dentate elderly surveyed claimed that they brushed their teeth every day and used toothpaste during toothbrushing, but awareness about fluoride content was lacking. The respondents had poor oral health knowledge but positive attitudes toward oral health, providing a basis for more community-based oral health education programs, especially targeting adults who are less-well-educated and have fewer socio-economic advantages.     

Oral health and self-perceived oral treatment need of adults in Sweden

The main aim of this thesis was to study the oral health and the self-perceived oral treatment need of adults in Sweden. The first step was to analyse the self-perceived oral treatment need in a random national sample of young adults (20 to 25-year-olds). This study used one patient and one dentist questionnaire. The patient questionnaire was sent to 611 young adults and the response rate was 78%. After permission from 377 of these individuals, a questionnaire was sent to their dentists and answers were received from 85% (321 dentists). How the individuals perceived their oral treatment need was used as a dependent variable in a multivariate logistic regression model. Independent variables were self-assessed socio-economic situation, general health and dental attitudes together with information from the dentists on their patient's dental status. The results showed that having a high educational level, poorer oral health compared to one's peers, and being concerned about one's oral health significantly increased the odds for a high perceived oral treatment need. In this group of young adults, 33% perceived a high oral treatment need. In order to study if the oral treatment need was the same in all adult age groups and how the perceived oral health was in an adult Swedish population, a new questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 9 690 individuals, 20 to 89-year-olds, living in Sk?ne, Sweden. The response rate was 63%. The results showed that a majority of the adult population in Sk?ne had a positive perception of their oral health, in particular the individuals in the youngest age group. Most individuals had lost few teeth and removable dentures were uncommon. One third rated their dental treatment need as high. The highest proportion of individuals with a perceived high oral treatment need was found in the age group 70-79. In order to study the perceived oral treatment need in all adult age groups, the questionnaire was further analysed. The Andersen behavioural model was used as a theoretical framework for a multivariate logistic regression model. Questions that fit the components of individual characteristics, health behaviour and outcomes in the model were used as independent variables. The self-perceived oral treatment need was used as a dependent variable. The results showed that the Andersen behavioural model was found to be a useful tool when studying the perceived oral treatment need, and variables from all of the components in the model were significant. Important factors for the prediction of a high oral treatment need were a low educational level, previous unmet perceived oral treatment need, frequent visiting pattern, perception of worse oral health, external locus of control, and to have received information from one's dental caregiver about a need for oral treatment. The evaluated oral health was also studied using another sample of adults from the same region and of the same age. 966 individuals were invited to participate in a clinical study and 47% of the final sample was examined. Since socio-economic factors have been shown to be related to oral health, the clinical findings were studied in cross tabulations and chi-2 tests together with age, gender, ethnicity and educational level. The results showed that older age was related to a higher prevalence and an increased severity of oral diseases (except for caries) and a higher number of dental restorations. There were no significant differences between the genders. Individuals with a lower educational level had fewer teeth remaining, had more caries lesions, and had worse periodontal conditions and a higher DMFT. Individuals not born in Sweden had fewer teeth remaining, had worse periodontal conditions, more apical destructions and had received less dental fillings than those born in Sweden. Conclusions: The self-assessed and the professionally evaluated oral health of the adult population in Sk?ne is good both in a historical and international perspective. The evaluated oral health is comparable to other Swedish studies. There is, however, a group of individuals that has an increased risk for oral diseases. The self-perceived oral treatment need is largely affected by the patient's socio-economic background and perceptions of oral health.     

农村社区儿童口腔健康状况的调查研究

目的　调查农村地区儿童与青少年口腔健康状况 ,为开展农村社区口腔保健项目制订相应对策。方法　采用随机分层、整群抽样的方法 ,抽取两个省的二个乡镇社区 1～ 12岁儿童及 15岁、18岁青少年共计 2 793名。采用WHO的基本调查方法进行龋病与牙周病患病状况的调查 ,分析学龄前无龋儿童与高龋儿童 (龋均 >3)的分布状况 ,以及调查青少年的牙周健康状况 ,评价疾病的分布范围与严重程度 ,以便确定干预的重点。结果　学龄前儿童乳牙患龋水平很高 ,6岁儿童患龋率为 72 .9% ,龋均 3.6 4 ;其中无龋儿童为 2 7.15 % ,高龋儿童 5 2 .2 % ,97%的龋未经治疗。 7～ 12岁儿童乳牙患龋率随年龄增长逐年下降 ,至 12岁仍有乳牙龋残留。恒牙患龋水平很低 ,12岁患龋率 2 1% ,龋均 0 .38,95 %未经治疗。青少年软垢指数为中等水平 ,口腔卫生状况普遍较差 ,牙龈炎与牙石严重 ,浅牙周袋很少 ,无深牙周袋 ,未发现牙周炎问题。结论　农村儿童乳牙龋患严重 ,恒牙龋水平很低 ,大多数龋未经治疗。口腔卫生状况较差 ,牙龈炎、牙石严重。发展农村社区保健项目 ,初级口腔卫生保健应是重点。     

Oral health status among children and adolescents in governmental and private schools of the Palestinian Territories

Background: Political conflicts in the Palestinian Territories (PT) have resulted in systematic deterioration of socio-economic conditions and health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasised the negative impacts of social crisis on children’ oral health and quality of life. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and trends in dental caries and poor gingival health of schoolchildren in the PT through the scholastic years 1998/1999 to 2012/2013. Methods: This is a retrospective study. Prevalence data on dental caries of primary and permanent dentitions among children 6, 12 and 16 years of age were gathered from annual oral health reports of the School Dental Health Programme (SDHP)-Ministry of Health. Caries was recorded according to WHO methods and criteria. Decayed, missing and filled teeth indices for primary (dmft) and permanent (DMFT) teeth were calculated. Gingival health status was examined according to the Community Periodontal Index (scores 1 and 2). Statistical analysis used SPSS. Results: In 2012/2013, dental caries prevalence rates and the index scores among schoolchildren were as follows, respectively: 56.4% and 2.7 dmft at age 6; 42.0% and 1.4 DMFT at age 12; and 38.7% and 1.7 DMFT at age 16. For all age groups, the d/D-component of the caries indices was high. Trends of dental-caries prevalence, caries experience and gingival bleeding were fairly constant over time from 1998/1999. Conclusion: The SDHP was established in order to prevent and control oral diseases among schoolchildren in the PT. The Programme is fairly passive and the survey indicates an urgent need for reorientation of activities towards population-based prevention and health promotion. The application of the WHO Health Promoting Schools concept is highly recommended.Key words: Dental caries, gingival health, schoolchildren     

Dental status and oral health quality of life in economically disadvantaged French adults

Expansion of French health insurance coverage has increased funding for dental care for economically disadvantaged adults. This study aimed to measure clinical and self-perceived oral health, behaviors, and use of dental services by adults who were eligible for such coverage. The regional agency that gives administrative services for the health insurance funds provided a sample of 900 adults aged 35–44 years, insured through this program. We reached 805 of these adults by mail; of these 18% were surveyed and clinically examined. Self-perceived oral health was measured by the Global Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and participants' attitudes to dental health, by questionnaire. Decayed and Missing teeth constituted 40% of the DMFT. Participants reported poor oral health (63%), and 79% perceived a need for care, although they used dental services infrequently and had poor knowledge of available services. Cost of care and number of carious teeth were important predictors of the GOHAI.     

Parental perceptions of their preschool-aged children's oral health

BACKGROUND: Parents have an important role in making decisions about their children's oral health. The purpose of the authors' study was to determine parental perceptions of their children's oral health status and factors correlated with these perceptions of health. METHODS: The authors analyzed data for 3,424 children (2-5 years of age) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They based the dependent variable on a question asked of primary caregivers: "How would you describe the condition of [child's name]'s natural teeth?" Explanatory variables included demographic variables, dental visits, perception of child's general health, need for dental care and presence of tooth caries. RESULTS: Eighty-nine percent of parents rated their child's oral health as excellent, very good or good, and 11 percent rated it as fair or poor (mean = 2.7 on a five-point scale, with 1 being excellent and 5 being poor). Tooth caries, perceived need for dental cleaning and treatment, lower income and poorer general health perceptions were associated with poorer parental ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Actual disease and perceived need are associated significantly with parents' perceptions of their children's oral health. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Understanding parents' perceptions of their children's oral health and factors that motivate these perceptions can help dentistry overcome barriers that parents encounter in accessing dental care for their children.     

Self-assessed oral health, cognitive vulnerability and dental anxiety in children: testing a mediational model

Carrillo‐Díaz M, Crego A, Armfield JM, Romero M. Self‐assessed oral health, cognitive vulnerability and dental anxiety in children: testing a mediational model. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2012; 40: 8–16. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objective: To explain the association between children’s self‐perceived oral health status and dental anxiety, by considering their levels of cognitive vulnerability. Methods: Participants were 161 children (47.8% female; mean age = 11.93 years) who filled in a questionnaire comprising self‐assessed oral health‐related status, dental treatment‐related cognitive vulnerability and dental anxiety measures. Gender, age and number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth were controlled for. Bivariate correlations, hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modelling were conducted to test the hypotheses. Results: Subjective oral health status, cognitive vulnerability variables and dental anxiety were strongly correlated. Regression and structural models testing the mediating effects of cognitive vulnerability variables on the relationship between perceived oral health and dental anxiety were supported. Conclusions: The activation of the cognitive vulnerability schema, as a mediating variable, is a mechanism by means of which children’s self‐perceptions of a poor oral health might lead to dental anxiety. Both components of vulnerability analysed (threat and disgust) contribute decisively to this potential process.     

铜山县高氟区中学生口腔健康知识调查

目的了解铜山县高氟区中学生对口腔健康知识的知晓程度以及口腔卫生行为情况。方法采用分层、整群的抽样方法,对铜山县高氟区12～15岁中学生进行问卷调查。结果70.7%的人不知道"长期喝手压井水"是氟牙症的病因。74%的人知道"刷牙"可以预防龋齿,96.33%的人基本未接受过口腔健康教育,92.7%的人每天刷牙,66.3%的人较少吃甜食。结论应普及高氟区中学生对氟牙症的认识和口腔健康教育。