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Purpose: The aim of the present study was to identify the underlying patterns of oral cleaning habits and the use of fluoride, and to investigate their variations by studying the socioeconomic characteristics among Finnish dentate adults aged 30 to 64 years.Materials and Methods: Participants of the nationwide Health 2000 survey who were dentate, aged 30 to 64 years, and underwent a health interview and a clinical oral examination, were included in the present study (n = 4419).Results: In total, 79% of the women and 46% of the men reported to have brushed their teeth twice or more daily; 16% of the women and 14% of the men reported daily use of an electric toothbrush and 14% of the women and 5% of the men reported daily use of dental floss or an interdental brush. Factor analysis revealed five oral cleaning habit patterns, which were named modern, rational, before-breakfast, social and irrational. The modern cleaning pattern was associated with higher levels of education, and the rational cleaning with younger age, female gender and higher levels of education. The before-breakfast cleaning pattern was associated with male gender and lower levels of education, and the social cleaning with older age, female gender and higher levels of education. The irrational cleaning pattern was associated with older age.Conclusions: Adults have various oral cleaning habit patterns, each of which is associated with the subjects' socioeconomic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveThe aim was to compare the changes in parents’ oral health-related behaviour, knowledge and attitudes in 2001–2003 and 2003–2005, during a 3.4-year-intervention in Pori and in the reference area Rauma, Finland.Materials and methodsThe study population consisted of parents of children who participated in the oral health promotion programme in Pori (all 5th and 6th graders who started the 2001–2002 school year in the town of Pori,n = 1691) and the parents of same-aged children in a reference town (n = 807). In 2001–2003, the promotion was targeted only to the children in Pori. In 2003–2005, the promotion was targeted also to parents, for example via local mass media. The statistical significances of the differences in parents’ self-reported behaviour, knowledge and attitudes, and changes in these, were evaluated using Mann-Whitney U-tests and confidence intervals.ResultsIn 2001–2003, the trend in changing behaviours was in favour of parents in Pori. Mothers in Pori also improved their knowledge and the attitude ‘importance of brushing for health and appearance’. In 2003–2005, the trend in changing behaviours was rather similar in both towns, which may be due to diffusion of the oral health intervention to Rauma via the media.ConclusionsThe results suggest that health promotion targeted to children, which in previous studies has been shown to be successful in improving children’s behaviours, also helped their parents in mending their habits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]