Characteristics of Individuals in Japan Who Regularly Manage Their Oral Health by Having a Family Dentist

A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey

Bibliographic Data

ID15488337
AuthorsKatsuo Oshima (0000-0002-7481-7457, Nippon Dental University, corresponding author), Hiroki Miura (0000-0003-0897-0768, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido), Rumi Tano (0000-0003-2376-7901, National Institute of Public Health), Hideki Fukuda (0000-0002-3008-1046, National Institute of Public Health)
Year2022
Volume19
Issue17
Pages10479-10479
Publication date2022-08-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph191710479
PMID36078196
OpenAlexW4293030288
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited24

Dental healthcare systems may differ between countries; however, having a family dentist is generally important for proper oral health management. This study aims to analyze the proportion of people in Japan who have a family dentist, and their characteristics. A nationwide web-based survey with 3556 participants (1708 men and 1848 women) showed that 45.6% of men and 54.1% of women had a family dentist (FD group). A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that men in the FD group mostly belonged to older age groups (≥70 s, OR: 2.41), received higher household incomes (≥8000 K JPY, OR: 1.47), brushed their teeth three or more times daily (OR: 1.60), practiced habitual interdental cleaning (OR: 3.66), and fewer lived in rural areas (towns and villages, OR: 0.52). Regarding the women, the majority belonged to older age groups (60 s, OR: 1.52; ≥70 s, OR: 1.73), practiced habitual interdental cleaning (OR: 3.68), and fewer received lower household incomes (<2000 K JPY, OR: 0.61). These results suggest that despite Japan being a country with a public insurance coverage system for both men and women, having a family dentist is associated with disparities in individual socioeconomic factors, particularly age and household income

Cross-sectional study · Environmental health · Family income · Family medicine · Interdental consonant · Logistic regression · Oral health · Population · Socioeconomic status · Demography · Dental Health and Care Utilization · Dental Research and COVID-19 · Dentistry · Medicine · Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare

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Open DOIOpen Access