Age-related changes in social and psychological models predicting dental care in children.

Social and psychological factors associated with dental care were examined in two groups of children ages 6-8 and 9-11 years. Level of surface plaque, measures of dental health status (that is, total number of primary teeth decayed, missing, and filled [dmft] and total number of permanent teeth decayed, missing, and filled [DMFT] ), and frequency of dental visits were used as indicators of preventive behavior. The importance of social and psychological factors associated with these indicators was shown to vary with age group and with the specific preventive behavior indicator. Perceived level of dental anxiety and dental vulnerability were significantly associated with dental care, with dental anxiety being an important factor only in the lower group. Accessibility to a free school dental service was an important predictor of dental health status (DMFT) in the older age group, however, the data indicate that only when this service was offered within an organized structure of referral and transport was there an optimal effect on subsequent dental health.