Summarise the key influences on oral health of the social context in the responses to you social histories (300 words)
Social context is the psychological position that people react to things differently depending on their immediate environment. Social context is made up of numerous factors that all play a significant role in influencing the oral health of individuals within a particular population. The 12 questionnaires highlighted the areas of socioeconomic status, level of education, cultural background and location as being key influences on the oral health of the interviewees.
Socioeconomic status is determined by a patient's income and whether they receive monetary support. Income was a large influence on the number of dental visits the patient had annually, with those with greater income having more frequent …show more content…
This trend is mimicked in the questionnaires for example
Higher level of education is linked to higher income and thus greater affordability of dental services resulting in improved oral health. Past surveys and evidence has shown that participants with a lower educational level have poorer oral health, due to low income and also poorer knowledge of oral health hygiene. This was shown in a telephone survey completed by the 2002 National Dental Telephone Survey which found that 22.8% of adults with less than a secondary level of education had fewer than 20 teeth in midlife compared to the 4.3% of adults with tertiary education (Sanders, 2007).
A greater knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene is also associated with increased quality of oral health. In a South Australian study, dental knowledge was found to be associated with oral health outcomes. High dental knowledge of the prevention of tooth decay was associated with lower numbers of decayed teeth and higher numbers of filled teeth (Brennan et al,
Social context is the psychological position that people react to things differently depending on their immediate environment. Social context is made up of numerous factors that all play a significant role in influencing the oral health of individuals within a particular population. The 12 questionnaires highlighted the areas of socioeconomic status, level of education, cultural background and location as being key influences on the oral health of the interviewees.
Socioeconomic status is determined by a patient's income and whether they receive monetary support. Income was a large influence on the number of dental visits the patient had annually, with those with greater income having more frequent …show more content…
This trend is mimicked in the questionnaires for example
Higher level of education is linked to higher income and thus greater affordability of dental services resulting in improved oral health. Past surveys and evidence has shown that participants with a lower educational level have poorer oral health, due to low income and also poorer knowledge of oral health hygiene. This was shown in a telephone survey completed by the 2002 National Dental Telephone Survey which found that 22.8% of adults with less than a secondary level of education had fewer than 20 teeth in midlife compared to the 4.3% of adults with tertiary education (Sanders, 2007).
A greater knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene is also associated with increased quality of oral health. In a South Australian study, dental knowledge was found to be associated with oral health outcomes. High dental knowledge of the prevention of tooth decay was associated with lower numbers of decayed teeth and higher numbers of filled teeth (Brennan et al,