Documented dental attendance patterns during childhood and adolescence.

This 6-year retrospective study investigated the dental visiting habits of 263 working class adolescents in Greater Manchester. The aims of the study were to determine when young people were most likely to change their attendance patterns and to identify which subjects were most likely to stop seeking routine care. The frequency and reasons for all dental attendances made over a 6-year period were documented using clinical notes from general practices and community clinics. At the end of the study period, when the subjects were 13-15 years old, 62% were found to be maintaining an asymptomatic pattern of attendance, that is attending for examinations in the absence of symptoms. Sixteen per cent had stopped attending for check-ups and throughout the 6 years 10% attended only when they had symptoms or very rarely for check-ups. The number of subjects seeking routine care declined from the age of 9 years and those who continued to attend for examinations did so with a reduced frequency than when they were younger. It is concluded that encouragement to continue asymptomatic attendance should commence during the last years at primary school (10-11 years of age), a strategy which could result in up to 90% of the population of young adults retaining an asymptomatic dental attendance pattern.