Regular pattern of preventive dental services--a measure of access.

Having a regular pattern of care should be an indicator of access to and periodic use of preventive and health maintenance services. The analyses reported in this study are intended to provide a better understanding of the factors related to having a regular pattern of preventive dental care. The data were collected in 1981 as part of a U.S. household survey, 'A Study of Dental Health Related and Process Outcomes Associated with Prepaid Dental Care', the most comprehensive cross-sectional data base available in dentistry. Descriptive analyses of a constructed variable, representing perceived and realized access and a preventive orientation, indicate that 53% of the population had a regular pattern of preventive care. Those with a regular pattern of care were more likely to be white, younger, have dental insurance, have no cost barriers, have more than 12 years of education, be dentate, have no perceived symptoms, and no fear of pain. Logistic regressions indicated that there was an increased probability of having a regular pattern of preventive care if individuals had no economic access problems, had positive attitudes, had higher income, reported few oral symptoms, and were non-Black. Overall, the descriptive models used suggested that individuals with resources in the form of finances and education, and a sense of self-efficacy as expressed in attitudes toward oral health, had the greatest probability of having a regular pattern of preventive care.