Determinants of dental care utilization by the adult population in Buenos Aires.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the frequency with which the general population is seen by a dentist and the variables associated with the lack of regular dental check-ups. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with a descriptive and analytical phase conducted in an urban community in Argentina. A sample population was obtained by stratified method. Socioeconomic conditions (measure by UBN index), health, health coverage, level of education and location of the households with respect to the dental clinics were all taken into consideration in selecting the sample. We performed a uni-and multivariate analysis. The statistical software used was SPSS 9.0 for Windows and EpiInfo6 Version 6.0. RESULTS: We observed significant associations between the lack of dental care and poverty levels, presence of UBN, living in the suburbs or at a remote distance from dental clinics, and the lack of health insurance. However, in a multiple regression analysis, only the geographical and socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents and their households had statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The section of the community that is less likely to visit their dentist regularly are those with higher socio-economic risk. Having health insurance or having a dental clinic close to home does not ensure more frequent check-ups. Given that, as demonstrated in this work, spontaneous demand for attention is extremely low, public policies should aim to include this vulnerable population in preventive and scheduled care.

Oral health in 6-year-old schoolchildren from Berisso, Argentina: falling far short of WHO goals.

OBJECTIVES: Dental diseases in children have been reduced in recent decades in developed countries, although trends remain unclear in other countries. Oral healthcare in Argentina is based on demand and depends on a patient's health insurance coverage. The objective of this study was to determine the oral health situation of the population of six-year-olds in Berisso, Buenos Aires province (Argentina). STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study was performed on schoolchildren from public and private schools. The following factors were evaluated: DMFT, DMFS, dft, dfs, significant caries (SiC), filled, decayed and missing teeth, and the prevalence of caries in both primary and permanent teeth. Data was recorded concerning malocclusion, ankylosis, dental fluorosis, DDE index modified, urgent healthcare needs, healthcare system use, orthodontic treatments, filling materials, school type and socioeconomic position. RESULTS: The study was carried out on 804 schoolchildren. The overall prevalence of caries was 70% (temporary dentition 67.9%, permanent dentition 16.3%). The dft index was 4.52 for males and 4.77 for females. For males, dfs index scored 8.78 and for females, it scored 9.27. DMFT index was 0.45 for males and 0.51 for females. DMFS index scored 0.68 for males and 0.80 for females. There were differences between socioeconomic groups (employees and manual workers) in DMFT and DMFS indexes. Of the study population, 54% had never been seen by a dentist prior to the study. For children who had visited a dentist, 71% attended state public services. CONCLUSIONS: Oral indices in Berisso were worse than in other Argentinean studies and were far from the World Health Organization global goals. There is an urgent need to strengthen the effectiveness of preventive care.