Since the advent of HIV/AIDS at the beginning of the 1980s, concern has generated considerable impetus for change in cross-infection control procedures in dentistry. This process has been hastened partly by media coverage which, in tending to favour sensation over rational discourse, has played a not inconsiderable role in shaping public understanding and expectations. This […]

The objective of this preliminary investigation was to examine the feeding practices of infants and pre-school children in Adelaide, and thereby contribute to the development of appropriate preventive dental strategies. A stratified random sample of 160 two year old and three year old pre-school children in the Adelaide Statistical District was obtained. Information about feeding […]

Provider-patient relations may influence the nature of care provided. The aim of this study was to examine dentist preferences for patients, relate these to characteristics of dentists and practices, and to services provided. A random sample of Australian dentists completed mailed questionnaires (response = 60.3%). Four factor-based subscales and an overall scale (Selectivity) were derived […]

OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of location in Indigenous and non-indigenous child oral health in three Australian states and territories. The association of Indigenous status and residential location with caries prevalence, severity and unmet treatment need was examined. METHODS: Data were collected as part of a national monitoring survey of 4-14-year-old children enrolled in school […]

INTRODUCTION: Indigenous children in remote communities carry a disproportionate amount of the dental disease burden among Australian 4-12 year-olds. However, there have been no reports of dental service use, dental self-care or dietary characteristics among remote-living Indigenous children. This information may provide insight into behaviours linked with the high levels of dental disease observed. The […]

OBJECTIVES: To describe adult oral health inequalities using an area-based and household-based measure of socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: Self-report questionnaires (seeking information on sociodemographic, oral health and oral self-care) were sent to a random sample of adults from the Dunedin South Electorate, New Zealand. Household- and area-based SES measures were collected. The main outcome measures […]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to model the consequences of dental conditions from an empirical basis and to test the model’s ability to predict response combinations. METHODS: The model was derived from responses to the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP14) obtained from a UK population sample of 5281 dentate adults. This model […]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe differences in dental attendance and dental self-care behaviour between socioeconomic groups and to investigate the extent to which the socioeconomic gradient in oral health was explained by these behaviours. METHODS: We used data from a representative sample of adults in Australia, surveyed by telephone interview and […]

Background: Service rate variations and appropriateness of care issues have focused attention on factors that influence treatment decisions. The aims of this study were to examine what factors dentists consider in choosing alternative treatments, the stability of these factors over time and whether stability of treatment choice was related to age of dentist. Methods: Baseline […]

This paper attempts to fill the partial theoretical vacuum surrounding the understanding of fear acquisition. A review of recent and contemporary theories of the etiology of fear is presented, serving as a justification for further theorizing and allowing for greater understanding of those aspects of fear that remain to be adequately explained. A new model […]