Abstract
BACKGROUND: Good oral health is essential for good general health and quality of life. In Portugal, there are few studies on oral-health habits and the population's perceptions of this behaviour. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study was to characterise the Portuguese population's self-reported oral-health status, habits and perceptions, as well as their demands regarding national oral health-care services. METHODS: A randomised group of 1,395 individuals, > 15 years of age, was selected as a representative sample of the Portuguese population. Face-to-face interviews were conducted, based on a structured questionnaire with closed and semi-closed questions. The data were submitted for statistical analysis using SPSS. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A sample of 1,102 individuals answered the questionnaire. The great majority of the sample (97.6%) brushed their teeth daily, 70.3% had lost permanent teeth and 6.4% were edentulous. The loss of permanent teeth was statistically associated with poor oral-hygiene habits (P < 0.01). Moreover, 50.1% of the participants had experienced difficulty eating and/or drinking, 18% had felt ashamed of the appearance of their teeth and 69.3% had experienced toothache or gingival pain. A reduction in visits to a dentist in the previous 12 months was identified mainly for people from a lower social class (31.2%) and older people (29.4%). CONCLUSION: Evidence suggests that oral diseases might be more prevalent in Portuguese adults than the European average. Efforts should be made to promote good oral-hygiene habits among older people and people from lower social classes.