Who is more serious about oral hygiene: men or women? According to a study, in the US, women are better at maintaining oral hygiene, including more frequent visits to the dentist, than men.
Women who participated in the study visited the dentist more often than men, although bad habits may put men at greater risk of dental disease. The authors of the study believe that dentists, hygienists, and other professionals with an interest in dental health should develop gender strategies to address disparities.
“Despite nationally stated goals to reduce disparities in oral health, our study confirms the continuing gap between men and women in preventive and curative dental care,” write the authors, led by Dr. Frank Licari, MD, of the College of dentistry at Roseman University in Utah.
Oral health is the cornerstone of overall health, but many people don't realize its importance. Previous research has shown that, in general, women believe that oral health has a greater impact on quality of life, demonstrate better oral hygiene literacy, and are more positive about going to the dentist than men. However, the authors write that some recent studies raise the question of whether these differences persist.
To better understand the relationship between gender and oral health, researchers analyzed data from 4,741 men and women as part of the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey. The participants were aged 30 years or older. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, a multivariate regression analysis of outcome variables, including oral hygiene behavior, was performed.
When participants were asked when they last visited a dentist, the men's responses differed from those of the women. About 54% of women last visited a dentist within the last six months compared to men (46%).
In addition, women more often visited the dentist on their own, for preventive purposes or for the purpose of therapy, which the dentist prescribed during the previous examination. Conversely, men were more likely to visit the dentist in response to a call or for toothache, or for a condition requiring treatment.
Weaknesses of the study were that the data were based on information provided by the researcher himself. This was also due to the fact that self-reported data were used and the authors could not verify reports of dental visits.
Because results show that women demonstrate better oral hygiene practices and behaviors, men may experience a disproportionate burden of oral disease.
“Incorporating a gender perspective into care approaches may provide modest improvements in oral health outcomes,” Licari and colleagues concluded.