[Socio-demographic factors associated with dental services among Brazilian older adults: a study based on the National Household Sample Survey].

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of (and social-demographic factors associated with) the use of dental services. It was based on a sample of 28,943 adults > 60 years of age from the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey. Socio-demographic characteristics of seniors who had visited a dentist in the last year were compared with those of seniors who had visited a dentist more than one year previously and those who had never been to the dentist. The study showed independent associations between intervals > 1 year in visits to the dentist and such variables as age, residence, years of schooling, and per capita household income. All these variables, in addition to male gender and residence in the rural area, showed independent associations with absence of dental visits during the individual's lifetime. The results indicate a low rate of use of dental services among elderly Brazilians and that regional and socioeconomic differences are important determinants of dental services' use by Brazilian seniors.