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Summary

The objective. To explore disparities in needs for dental treatment which arise from individual and area-based socio-economic determinants. Research design. A cross-sectional study conducted in 22 randomly selected Lithuanian areas. Setting. In each of the pre-selected areas, one secondary school was randomly chosen. Participants. A total of 885 15-16-year-olds participated. Outcome measures. Dental treatment need was evaluated following the WHO guidelines and aQuantitative Summative Dental Treatment Needs Index (QSDTNI) was used to calculate the total burden of needs. The information about socio-economical determinants was obtained from a structured questionnaire and national statistics database. Individual socio-economic status (SES) measures were: parents' occupation, family structure, family income and affordability to have holiday used as a proxy measure for income. The area-based SES estimates were: unemployment, average household income, educational attainment, natural increase/decrease of population in an area and net migration rate. Data was analyzed by bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: None of significant bivariate associations between individual socio-economic variables and the QSDTNI were detected. Among area-based variables natural increase/decrease of population in an area and net migration rate were significantly related to the QSDTNI. Two individual and two area-based factors were extracted and introduced into Linear Multiple Regression Analysis (LMR). The LMR model was significant, but only one factor, i.e. area demographics, significantly contributed to this model. Conclusion: There are no clear social disparities in dental treatment needs in Lithuanian adolescents.

Key words: dental treatment needs, individual SES, area-based SES.

Received: 25 07 2008

Accepted for publishing: 19 09 2008

¹Department of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

²Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania

Jolanta Aleksejuniene¹ – D.D.S., M.Sc., PhD

Vilma Brukiene² – D.D.S.., PhD

Address correspondence to Dr. Jolanta Aleksejuniene, 2199 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z3.

E-mail: jolantaa@interchange.ubc.ca



	Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal

September, 2008, Vol. 10, No. 3 CONTENTS SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES Who is thought to be a "reliable dentist"? – Lithuanian dentists' opinion Alina Puriene, Irena Balciuniene, Povilas Drobnys 83-88 REVIEWS Risk factors of root resorption after orthodontic treatment Kristina Lopatiene, Aiste Dumbravaite 89-95 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES Influence of laser-welding and electroerosion on passive fit of implant-supported prosthesis Tatiana Bernardon Silva, Mauro Antonio De Arruda Nobilo, Guilherme Elias Pessanha Henriques, Marcelo Ferraz Mesquita, Magali Beck Guimaraes 96-100 Do socio-economic disparities in dental treatment needs exist in Lithuanian adolescents? Jolanta Aleksejuniene, Vilma Brukiene 101-106 The orthodontic treatment in Lithuania: Accessibility survey Vilija Janulyte, Alina Puriene, Laura Linkeviciene, Gailute Grigaite, Jelena Kutkauskiene 107-112 © 2008 Stomatologija		Stomatologija 2008; 10 (3): 101-106 190 KB Do socio-economic disparities in dental treatment needs exist in Lithuanian adolescents? Jolanta Aleksejuniene, Vilma Brukiene Summary The objective. To explore disparities in needs for dental treatment which arise from individual and area-based socio-economic determinants. Research design. A cross-sectional study conducted in 22 randomly selected Lithuanian areas. Setting. In each of the pre-selected areas, one secondary school was randomly chosen. Participants. A total of 885 15-16-year-olds participated. Outcome measures. Dental treatment need was evaluated following the WHO guidelines and aQuantitative Summative Dental Treatment Needs Index (QSDTNI) was used to calculate the total burden of needs. The information about socio-economical determinants was obtained from a structured questionnaire and national statistics database. Individual socio-economic status (SES) measures were: parents' occupation, family structure, family income and affordability to have holiday used as a proxy measure for income. The area-based SES estimates were: unemployment, average household income, educational attainment, natural increase/decrease of population in an area and net migration rate. Data was analyzed by bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: None of significant bivariate associations between individual socio-economic variables and the QSDTNI were detected. Among area-based variables natural increase/decrease of population in an area and net migration rate were significantly related to the QSDTNI. Two individual and two area-based factors were extracted and introduced into Linear Multiple Regression Analysis (LMR). The LMR model was significant, but only one factor, i.e. area demographics, significantly contributed to this model. Conclusion: There are no clear social disparities in dental treatment needs in Lithuanian adolescents. Key words: dental treatment needs, individual SES, area-based SES. Received: 25 07 2008 Accepted for publishing: 19 09 2008 ¹Department of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada ²Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania Jolanta Aleksejuniene¹ – D.D.S., M.Sc., PhD Vilma Brukiene² – D.D.S.., PhD Address correspondence to Dr. Jolanta Aleksejuniene, 2199 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z3. E-mail: jolantaa@interchange.ubc.ca