Objectives: To ascertain the possible influence of sociodemographic variables on dental service utilization and oral health among Spanish children.
Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study using secondary individualized data drawn from 4,023 interviews conducted with parents or guardians of children aged 3-15 years as part of the 2001 Spanish National Health Survey. The dependent variables analyzed were use of dental services in the preceding 12 months, and caries ever. Classification of children was affirmative if their parents answered that the last time their child visited the dentist it was for a filling and/or had fillings in his/ her teeth/molars. Independent variables were sex, age, size of town or city, parents' educational level and monthly income of the family unit.
Results: A total of 47.1% of the study children had visited a dentist, stomatologist or dental hygienist in the preceding 12 months. Children having parents or guardians with the lowest educational level were 1.36 times (95% Cl: 1.10-1.68) more likely to have received no dental care than those having parents or guardians with the highest educational level. The likelihood of not having made use of such dental services rose 2.03-fold (95% CI: 1.58-2.61) in cases where monthly income was less than 900 euros versus greater than 1800 euros. Reported prevalence of caries for the sample as a whole was 31.45%. Children whose parents were in the lowest educational range were 1.37 times (95% CI: 1.08-1.71) more likely to have caries than those in the highest range.
Conclusion: There is social inequality in the use of dental services and oral health among Spanish children.