A Study to Determine the Optimal Frequency for Conducting Periodic Dental Examinations, Recruit Needs. Part II.

Abstract : The primary purpose of this part of the study was to obtain an estimate of the dental care needs of Army recruits (less than two years of service) by numbers and types of care, by hours of treatment time, and by subgroups according to age and sex. The data was collected from a small sample (312) representing males and females who reported for a dental examination during a one-month period, who had not yet received any definitive dental care since entering on active duty. The AOHMP mechanism was used as the sample selection mechanism. The clinical data collected consisted of dental care needs in all treatment areas except orthodontics. The heaviest requirements were for restorative care and the bulk of this was simple one-surface restorations. The ratio by sex was unbalanced with a smaller proportion of females than desired. The distribution of the sample among the two age groups is unbalanced in favor of the younger age group. The sample size is small and biased; the conclusions cannot be considered as a reliable indicator of potential dental needs of incoming Army personnel. (Author)