To investigate self-assessed oral health and oral health behaviours of adults in Tehran, Iran.
Methods:
Seven-digit numbers resembling real phone numbers were drawn using a two-stage stratified random technique to represent adults in Tehran. A total of 1,307 adults answered the calls by four trained interviewers, and 1,086 (83%) accepted to be interviewed. After excluding edentulous (n=18) respondents and those with no dental visit (n=67), the final sample comprised 1,001 subjects. Of them, 58% were women and 61% were under 35 years of age. The question about self-assessed oral health offered six options, later dichotomized as good or poor. Self-assessed need for dental treatment was later categorized as being major or minor. The interview also covered time since and reason for the most recent dental visit, frequency of tooth brushing and presence of gingival bleeding. Age, gender and level of education served as background information. Statistical analysis included Chi-square test and logistic regression.
Results: Of all, 48% assessed their oral health as poor with no difference by gender or age. Those with low level of education (61%) or income (60%) assessed their oral health as poor compared with 45% of those better off (p<0.01). Self-assessed need of dental treatment was major for 43% of all respondents being greatest (p<0.01) for those with low level of education (54%) or income (53%). Of all, 14% reported gingival bleeding, 57% less-than-daily tooth brushing and 84% dental problem as reason for their most recent dental visit. Logistic regression model showed that gingival bleeding (OR=2.5), problem-based dental visit (OR=2.0) or less-than-daily tooth brushing (OR=1.8) were related to respondents assessing their oral health as poor.
Conclusions: Self-assessed oral health was related to individual’s reported oral health behaviour and reason for dental visit.