Dental attendance and self-assessment of dental status by Israeli military personnel according to gender, education, and smoking status, 1998-2006

Objective: The goal of the study was to analyze dental attendance and self-assessment of dental status among Israeli military personnel, according to gender, education, and smoking status. Methods: Data were analyzed from a computerized questionnaire on dental attendance and dental status, completed by military personnel who attended one medical clinic for the required periodic medical examination between 1998 and 2006. Results: For 60% of the respondents, the last dental visit was within the previous 12 months. The last dental visit was for scheduled treatment for 49.8%, a dental examination for 21.5%, and emergency dental treatment for 12.2%. College graduates rated their dental self-care higher than non-college graduates, and nonsmokers rated their selfcare higher than smokers. Of the participants, 50.9% considered their own dental status good or excellent and 7.2% considered their oral health status poor. No significant differences were found according to gender. Conclusions: The findings indicated high dental attendance but low self-perception of dental status in Israeli military personnel in comparison with the Israeli general population and low attendance in comparison with U.S. Army personnel. A compulsory periodic dental examination among Israeli military personnel, similar to the required periodic medical examination, is recommended.