Utilisation of dental care at the University Dental Hospital, Southern Thailand

Objectives: To identify the need and demand for dental care among patients attending the government University Dental Hospital (Prince of Songkla University, PSU) located in Southern Thailand (Haad Yai, Songkhla). Design: Data were analysed descriptively focusing particularly on demography, occupation, chief complaints, and treatment needs of patients. Subjects: Records of 4,175 self-referred and dental and medical practitioner referred patients, who registered for the first time at the University Dental Hospital in 1992. Results: Patients in the 21-30, 11-20, 31-40 age groups showed the greatest demand for dental services (30.5 per cent, 26.4 per cent, 24.6 per cent respectively) especially females. Conservative dentistry, oral surgery, prosthodontics and orthodontics were the main types of dental treatment needed (43.8 per cent, 28.2 per cent, 22.4 per cent, 3.6 per cent respectively). Conclusions: Eighty per cent of patients sought dental treatment because of symptoms. Age, sex, occupation, and distance were associated with the utilisation of dental services.