Explorative study of the motives for non-utilization of the Danish Youth Dental Care Scheme

The present study attempted to develop an explanatory model for the lack of preventive dental behavior as demonstrated by the non-utilization of the Danish Youth Dental Care Scheme (YDCS). A focused interview was conducted with young, working class men by two carefully trained and experienced interviewers. Analysis of the interviews showed that no single factor could explain non-utilization of the YDCS. Rather a complex of factors partly on the individual social-psychologic, psychologic and economic level and partly on the social level, operating directly and indirectly with varying strength, needs to be considered. A new explanatory model for preventive dental behavior is developed and discussed in the light of recent theories on health behavior.