Dental attendance in 1998 and implications for the future.

The national surveys of Adult Dental Health have given a 10-yearly summary of the clinical condition of adults in the United Kingdom on three previous occasions. The fourth report in the series was published in March of 2000. For the 1998 survey 4,984 addresses were identified at which all adults over 16 in residence were asked to take part in the survey; 21% of households refused and no contact was made at 5% of them. In total, 6,204 adults were interviewed following which those with some teeth were asked to undergo a dental examination; 3,817 (72%) of those eligible agreed. A weighting system based on some of the interview responses of those who consented to be dentally examined and those who were interviewed but not dentally examined was used to reduce bias from non-response.1 The survey was carried out under the auspices of the Office of National Statistics together with the Universities of Dental attendance in 1998 and implications for the future N. M. Nuttall,1 G. Bradnock,2 D. White,3 J. Morris,4 and J. Nunn,5