Objective: To compare differences in oral health status and dental visiting behaviour among capital city dwellers (CCD) and non-CCDs.
Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with Australian adults from a stratified clustered sample of households selected from the electronic white pages. Dentate persons were invited to dental examinations carried out in local clinics by calibrated examiners. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression to compare clinical oral health indicators and measures of access to dental care for non-CCD relative to CCD. Results: 14,123 (response rate 49%) aged 15–97 years, with clinical data on 5,505 (44% of interviewees), were included in the analysis; results reported were significant within 95% confidence intervals. Logistic regression models controlling for age, sex, education, eligibility for public dental care, dental insurance, country of birth and language spoken at home revealed that non-CCD were more likely to: be edentulous (OR=1.60; CI 1.35-1.90); have <21 teeth (OR=1.30; CI 1.12-1.52), wear a denture (OR=1.40; CI 1.24-1.58), have untreated decay (OR=1.63 ; CI 1.34-1.98), have severe tooth wear (OR=2.21; CI 1.57-3.12), and to have had a tooth extracted (OR=1.51; CI 1.27-1.79). However, non-CCD were less likely to: have made a dental visit within the preceding year (OR=0.84; CI 0.75-0.94); had their teeth professionally cleaned (OR=0.62; CI 0.53-0.72) in the previous 12 months; usually: visit a dentist annually (OR=0.76; CI 0.68-0.85), attend the same dentist (OR=0.66; CI 0.57-0.77), or visit for check-up (OR=0.67; CI 0.59-0.75).
Conclusion: Non-CCD had poorer oral health status and access to dental care.
Supported by NHMRC, AIHW, ADA, CDC, Colgate, State and Federal Health Departments.