Factors influencing whether low-income mothers have a usual source of dental care.

Mothers are both the source of dental caries and the managers of children's use of dental care. This is particularly important for the low-income population. The objective of this research was to explore predictors of having a usual source of dental care among low-income women. Eight-hundred-ten mothers (82 percent white, mean age twenty-seven years), drawn from among participants in an ABCD program in one Washington State County completed a study questionnaire. The study examined predisposing, enabling and illness level variables in relation to whether the mother reported a usual source of dental care for herself. Fifty-two percent of the subjects gave positive answers to the dependent variable Do you now have a dentist you can go to if you have a problem? The analysis suggests that mothers that report good oral health and believe in care for their children are five times as likely to have a usual source of care for themselves than mothers who report both poor oral health and more negative attitudes about dental care for children. The results suggest that interventions aimed at child health that ignore the welfare of the mother are likely to be less successful than those that also address the mothers' needs.