Table 2.
Characteristics of children’s utilisation of dental care
| Variable | Grade 3 N (%) (n = 820) | Grade 8 N (%) (n = 577) | Total N (%) (n = 1,397) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last dental visit | |||
| Never | 237 (28.90) | 119 (20.62) | 356 (25.48) |
| < 6 months | 263 (32.07) | 181 (31.37) | 444 (31.78) |
| 6 months to 1 year | 125 (15.24) | 80 (13.86) | 205 (14.67) |
| > 1 year but < 3 years | 118 (14.39) | 82 (14.21) | 200 (14.32) |
| > 3 years | 37 (4.51) | 63 (10.92) | 100 (7.16) |
| DK | 40 (4.88) | 52 (9.01) | 92 (6.59) |
| Reason last dental visit* | |||
| Check-up | 119 (20.41) | 139 (30.35) | 258 (24.78) |
| Cleaning | 38 (6.52) | 63 (13.76) | 101 (9.70) |
| Toothache | 250 (42.88) | 150 (32.75) | 400 (38.42) |
| Caries | 299 (51.29) | 157 (34.28) | 456 (43.80) |
| Treatment | 40 (6.86) | 48 (10.48) | 88 (8.45) |
| Other | 63 (10.81) | 59 (12.88) | 122 (11.72) |
| Place last dental visit | |||
| Private dental clinic | 237 (40.65) | 172 (37.55) | 409 (39.44) |
| Private hospital | 170 (29.16) | 139 (30.35) | 309 (29.80) |
| Primary health centre | 67 (11.49) | 40 (8.73) | 107 (10.32) |
| Public hospital | 44 (7.55) | 67 (14.63) | 111 (10.70) |
| School clinic | 12 (2.06) | 16 (3.49) | 28 (2.70) |
| University dental clinic | 21 (3.60) | 11 (2.40) | 32 (3.09) |
| Other | 29 (4.97) | 12 (2.62) | 41 (3.95) |
| Needed a visit in previous year and could not go | |||
| Yes | 201 (34.60) | 117 (25.38) | 318 (30.52) |
| No | 353 (60.76) | 315 (68.33) | 668 (64.11) |
| DK | 27 (4.65) | 29 (6.29) | 56 (5.37) |
| Ever visited a dentist (child’s response) | |||
| Yes | 520 (63.41) | 399 (69.15) | 919 (65.78) |
| No | 300 (36.59) | 178 (30.85) | 478 (34.22) |
| Ever visited a dentist (parent’s response) | |||
| Yes | 583 (71.10) | 458 (79.38) | 1,041 (74.52) |
| No | 237 (28.90) | 119 (20.62) | 356 (25.48) |
DK, do not know.
Some numbers do not add up to the total because of missing values.
*
Participants checked more than one answer.