Factors associated with subjective need for dental treatment in elderly Brazilians

The demographic transition in Brazil in recent years had reproduced a phenomenon known worldwide as population aging. The objective of this study was thus to identify the factors related to self-perceived need for dental treatment among elderly Brazilians. An in-depth analysis was performed with data from the 2003 national oral health survey, with a sample of 5,349 elderly individuals. Poisson regression models were used to identify the individual variables involved in self-perceived need for dental treatment. The variables associated with subjective need for dental treatment were different for edentulous and non-edentulous elders. These findings are important for planning the supply of dental services to the population, providing estimates of the main problems reported by these individuals and the number requiring treatment.