Dental Health & Social Class

Sociology is concerned with the social and political organizations of society and how these affect the behavior of a person living in a particular community, whereas psychology is concerned with individuals and their relationships with others (Kent and Croucher, 1998, 4). Socio-dental indicators measure how much oral and dental disorders cause behavioral changes and interfere with a person's ability to function in their normal social roles, and so are important to dentistry (13). For example, the wearing of dentures, particularly if they do not fit well, interferes with the normal ability to chew food, talk and sing, and therefore disrupts normal social activities, often making people feel socially inadequate. The World Health organization has developed scales such as the Sickness Impact Profile to determine the effects of health problems on social abilities, and similar profiles have been developed for oral health.

Sociologists are interested in epidemiological studies which show differences in oral health problems among different ethnic groups, e.g. the high levels of dental caries in young Asian children in England (Kent and Croucher, 1998, 15). The oral hygiene practices of Asian children are different from those of Caucasian children of a similar age. This could be due to changes in diet, or the absence of access to health information among these groups. It could also be due to their immigrant status or socioeconomic status.

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he patient to their office. While sociology is concerned with the individual in the context of their community, psychology is concerned with the individuals themselves and their relationships to others. When treating patients, dentists need to become acquainted with their patient's personal beliefs in regard to health and illness, and how they practice dental care. Since mothers are the primary carers of the family, and act as a go-between linking the family to the outside world, it is important for the dentist to know the mother's beliefs when treating a child so that he understands the basis of the child's oral care practices, and how the mother feels about them (Humphris and Ling, 2000, 94). Dental health care is influenced by a patient's beliefs, attitudes, and the social pressures they are under (Humphris and Ling, 95). People sometimes behave in ways they know are harmful to their health because they see other benefits in these behaviors which they believe far outweigh the harmful effects. This is often the case when resources (financial and timewise) are limited. It is well known that stress can cause illness, and this is true of dental problems too. Stress-induced changes in the body can result in changes in th

Category: Medical - D