Factors associated with self-reported use of oral health services among older Melbournians

Objectives: This paper discusses the utilisation of oral health-care services by older adults in Melbourne, Australia, and factors associated with their use. Methods: The study involved 993 older adults who participated in the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing baseline data collection. Results: Nearly 38% of respondents had used oral health services in the previous year. Another 4% had not visited a dentist for more than 5 years. Recent use of dental services was associated with five predictors: higher level of education, non-pension sources of income, lower age, more social support and higher levels of depression. Conclusion: This study provides important information about dental utilisation by older Melbournians. Lack of information on dentition status, and type of dental visits limits the interpretation of the data, highlighting the need to collect relevant information that would inform the design of longitudinal studies aimed at determining predictors of use of oral health services by older Australians.