Biomedical subjects

L A Helöe

Publications and source records attributed to L A Helöe.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1976

Reliability and constancy of information obtained in dental health interviews.

In a group of 297 persons interviewed about dental health, a random sample of 50 persons was reinterviewed by the same person, posing identical questions. The average interval between interviews was 9 months. Replies to questions concerning actual conditions, i.e. edentulousness, time of extraction and time of filling, showed a high degree of stability and constancy. The subject's attitude to water fluoridation appeared, on the other hand, to have changed somewhat. Similarly, some of the respondents appeared to have acquired knowledge of dental health care as a result of the first interview and had altered their standpoint accordingly. Still, the results of the replies to the interview seemed reliable as defined by stability overtime.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

Opinions among Norweigian dentists on specialization and/or general practice.

Three special areas of dental practice are recognized by the Norwegian Dental Association: oral surgery, orthodontics, and periodontics. A representative, nationwide sample comprising 50 dentists in Norway was surveyed through personal interviews concerning opinions about specialists and further specialization. Two dentists in the sample were specialists, the remaining general practitioners. Two-thirds of this group thought that the specialization of dentistry would continue. Only 11 dentists, however, considered this development to be desirable. Every second stated nevertheless that there was a shortage of specialists, particularly orthodonists, in the district where they practice. Most respondents had good experiences cooperating with specialists but they were against astablishing new specialities; they were concerned about their own scope of acitivity. Some pointed out that it requires greater skill and ability to be a solo general practitioner in a rural district than to be an urban, centrally located specialist. However, only 13 dentists considered it right to make general practice a "specialty".

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Comparison between participants and non-participants in a dental health survey in northern Norway.

The present study focused on possible differences with regard to sex, age, family income and dental status between those who did and those who did not attend a dental health survey. In a village in Northern Norway, all inhabitants aged 20-69 years (180 men and 178 women) were invited by mail to participate in a dental health survey. Two reminders were sent to non-respondents. Eighty-three percent of the target population attended for examination and interviews, and 94% responded to a follow-up questionnaire. Of all non-participants, men, and particularly young men, were overrepresented. Middle-aged people were more likely to participate than were persons under 30 and over 50 years of age. Furthermore, people belonging to the upper income groups seemed to be more willing to participate than those at lower income levels. Apparently, inconvenient working hours and long commuting distances had affected the participation. In addition, it seemed likely that anxiety and local factors had some influence.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Characteristics of a group of patients with temporomandibular joint disorders.

Information concerning social, medical and dental characteristics was obtained from a group comprising 406 patients, 103 men and 303 women, all with some temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Median age for the men was 27 years, and for the women 33 years. Individuals belonging to the middle and upper social classes were clearly overrepresented. Self-reports on general health indicated no obvious deviation from levels which might be expected to prevail in the general population. Dental health tended to be slightly ahead of Norwegian general standards. Eighty-two percent of the group were found to have a mandibular pain dysfunction syndrome (MDS), 11% had chronic osteoarthritis, and 7% suffered from other arthropathies of traumatic as well as rheumatologic origin. The proportion of patients with MDS was inversely related to age, and after the age of 40, the relative frequency of MDS also fell slightly with the lowering of social class. Presumably the social composition of the clientele reflected differences in the seeking of treatment, rather than in the "true" disease prevalences. No indication was found for assuming that dental factors had played major and independent roles in the development of the disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

The use of dental services among Norwegian adults in 1973.

The dental treatment pattern and its determinants were surveyed in 1973 by interviews with a sample comprising 1,632 persons drawn to cover the total Norwegian population aged 15 and above. In all, 58% of the interviewees stated having visited a dentist during the year prior to the interview. In contrast, 16% had not consulted a dentist for at least 5 years. Fifty-five percent of the sample reported having received fillings at the last dental visit and 15% reported having received some periodontal and/or preventive treatment. Regular (at least annual) treatment attendance was claimed by 52% of the sample. However, some respondents had seemingly embellished their treatment behavior, and a relatively valid estimate for the current proportion of regular treatment attenders was considered to be 40% of the adult population in Norway. Sex and geographic region were found to be the most influential predictors of the recent treatment pattern, whereas school dental treatment had a major influence in youth. Dental conditions including the wearing of dentures was the reason most often given for not seeing a dentist on a regular basis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Dental status and treatment needs among institutionalized mentally subnormal persons in Norway.

Dental status and treatment needs were studied in a random sample comprising 353 mentally subnormal persons. The sample was drawn to represent institutionalized mentally subnormal persons in Norway aged 5-45. The overall dental health was poor, primarily due to inadequate and fragmentary treatment facilities. Whereas the dental condition of children below 15 years of age was acceptable, as measured by the DMFT index, tooth loss increased rapidly with advancing age. Nearly every second dentulous person needed some conservation, and every tenth needed extraction of one or more teeth. One-third of the patients needed treatment requiring general anesthesia. It was concluded that a new system for the investigation of treatment requirements should be developed. This system must be based on diagnostic and social criteria, and should serve as a guideline for the plannning and delivery of dental services to the various subgroups of mentally subnormal persons.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1974