The Motivation of Dental Treatment Requests in a Romanian Population

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 1340 subjects, using a self-administered questionnaire. Information on the most frequent reasons for addressing the dental office, as well as on the subjects' self perceived oral health status was obtained. The sample was stratified by age, gender and educational background and data were processed using descriptive statistics.

Results: The study showed that 27% of patients addressed the dental office for emergencies (tooth ache) and 52% for routine check-ups. A considerable proportion of patients (15%) sought aesthetic treatments while a lower number sought assistance for other affected oral functions. The highest demand for routine check-ups was noted in the 21-35 age group (61%) and the lowest in the >55 age group (28.6%). Demand for emergency interventions was highest for the <21 age group (29.4%) and lowest for the 36-55 age group (18.8%), while aesthetic treatments were mostly requested in the 36-55 age group (25%). Patients perceived their oral health status as good (33%), acceptable (52%), weak (11%), and very weak (3%), while 1% declared not being able to appreciate it. Self perceived oral health worsened with age.

Conclusions: 1. The most frequent reason for addressing the dental office was the routine check-up, followed by emergencies and aesthetic considerations. 2. The distribution of motivation varied according to age and educational background, being less influenced by the subjects' gender 3. The self perceived oral health status became less favorable with age.