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Sociomedical and epidemiological analysis of patients aged 18-34 yearsvisiting the dental office Abstract Introduction. Carelessness in caring for oral cavity in adults may contribute to severity of dental caries, periodontal diseases and diseases of mucous membranes that pose a risk to health of both dental and systemic character.Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between selected demographic factors and the cause of visiting the dental practitioner and the dental health status in adults.Material and methods. The study comprised 194 patients, aged 18-34 who visited in 2015 one of the dental offices in Lublin, which offers treatment under the framework of an agreement with the National Health Fund or for a fee. Gender, age, the place of residence and the reason for visiting the dental office were analyzed. The place of residence was a village, a town of less than 200 thousand inhabitants or the city of more than 200 thousand inhabitants. The reason for visiting the dental office was a checkup visit, loss of filling or a toothache. Dental condition was assessed by calculating the DMF index. The results were statistically analyzed.Results. In the group of respondents, women accounted for 53.62%, and men -45.88%. The prevalence of dental caries was 100% and the incidence expressed by the mean DMF index was 14.64±5.78, and increased with age. The main reason for visiting the dentist for 65.46% of respondents was a check-up visit, for 17.53% -loss of filling and for 17.01% -a toothache. The lowest incidence of tooth decay was found in people visiting the dentist for a check-up, higher in patients appearing with the loss of filling and toothache.Conclusions. A high percentage of people visiting the dentist because of toothache, confirms the low level of health-related knowledge in adult patients. High incidence of tooth decay proves the need to intensify preventive measures against the carious disease in adults. It is necessary to intensify educational activities and programs addressed to the adult part of Polish society to prevent the development of dental caries.

The first visit to the dentist should take place within 6 months after the first deciduous tooth erupts, and not later than in the 12th month of the child’s life. To assess the role of paediatricians in the prophylaxis of early childhood caries, the authors studied recommendations given to parents about the age when their child should see the dentist for the first time. The survey covered 250 parents of children aged from 11 to 69 months who attended nursery schools and kindergartens in Lublin. Our results show that paediatricians only referred 12.80% (n = 32) of all children at the age of between 3 to 66 months for their first visit to the dentist. Herein, half of the references were of children younger than 2 years (Me = 24.0). In total, the mean age of the child was 22.41 ± 13.24 months on reference. Thus, paediatricians refer children to the dentist for their first visit too seldom and too late. It is essential that paediatricians learn to participate to a greater extent in the prevention of early childhood caries. The cooperation between the paediatrician and the dentist is necessary to provide complex and comprehensive care to developmental age patients.

Physicians and dentists can be held liable for commissions and omissions relating to the exercise of medical activity. Medical liability involves the obligation to redress the damage (harm) which occurred as a result of acts or omissions committed in the course of medical activity. Whether liability will arise depends on the occurrence of damage which stands in an adequate causal relationship to the event provided for in applicable regulations. This event may be non-performance or improper performance of a contract for the provision of medical services (contractual liability) or unlawful and culpable conduct in the exercise of medical action taken toward the patient who is not bound to the doctor by a legal relationship (tort liability). When a physician or a dentist is assigned a liability, he/she is obliged to redress the pecuniary damage and compensate for the non-pecuniary injury (wrong) suffered by the injured party.