Age and perception of dental appearance and tooth colour.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of satisfaction with dental appearance and own tooth colour in the UK and investigate the impact of ageing on these perceptions.

METHODS

Data about ageing and satisfaction with dental appearance and tooth colour was gathered by means of a questionnaire completed at face-to-face interview. The questionnaire was first tested and then used by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in a stratified random sample of adults drawn from the UK. A total of 3384 adults were interviewed.

RESULTS

Three quarters of the population were satisfied with their own dental appearance and two-thirds were satisfied with their tooth colour. Subjects over the age of 55 were significantly more likely to be satisfied with their dental appearance and tooth colour (p < 0.05) compared with younger age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Ageing is not necessarily associated with negative self-perception of dental appearance or tooth colour. Greater dissatisfaction with dental appearance or colour in younger ages may suggest that perceived appearance is linked to cognitive factors other than social or cultural ones.