Do self-assessed oral health and treatment need associate with clinical findings? Results from the Finnish Nationwide Health 2000 Survey

Abstract

Self-assessed good oral health is a fairly good estimate for the absence of clinically determined dental and periodontal treatment need. As implication for practice, self-assessed data could be used for screening purposes for oral health service planning and for priority allocation in large adult populations.

Changes in perceived oral health in a longitudinal population‐based study

“…Clinical diagnoses and indices yield information on oral health and treatment need as assessed by professionals, but they do not reveal patient's attitudes or perceptions or capture his/her experiences and concerns of oral health. However, there is an association between perceived and clinically determined oral health . Perceived oral health is an individual conception of the health of the mouth and teeth and of their effect on well‐being which are the major reasons for seeking care in populations .…”

“…Perceived oral health is an individual conception of the health of the mouth and teeth and of their effect on well‐being which are the major reasons for seeking care in populations . Therefore, also perceived oral health might be used for screening purposes in oral healthcare planning . To better understand the various determinants and impacts of oral health, the aspects of perceived oral health should also be studied thoroughly in populations.…”

Does dental hygienist professional education meet the needs of working life? Educators' views

“…The elderly retain their own teeth longer than in the past, and their awareness of oral health has improved; consequently, more dental hygienist services will be needed . The role of the dental hygienist in implementing periodontal treatment will become more significant in the future, because periodontal diseases are still quite common in young adults, who also have a greater need for periodontal treatment than for dental caries treatments . However, dental hygienist education in Finland does not include teaching of more advanced periodontal treatment, and barriers currently limit the depth of the periodontal pockets dental hygienists can remove .…”

The professional role of a dental hygienist in Finland – educators’ views

“…The respondents to this study found that there was still a great need to improve oral health training and preventive strategies in dentistry (Figs and ). This is supported by the results of school health studies showing inadequate tooth brushing frequencies among school children , as well as by epidemiological studies of adults’ periodontal conditions .…”