Abstract

Background: Regular dental checkups are fundamental in preventing and early detection of dental diseases. This shows a positive outcome over the conservation of natural dentition. Furthermore, education level has been an influencing factor for a regular checkup. However, the need for a regular visit is not appreciated in many parts of the world, and many people fail to comply with this due to several barriers. For example, despite the free dental treatment in Saudi Arabia, most of them seek only emergency services, so the aim is to assess the reasons and frequencies of dental visits among adult people in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted to assess the reasons and frequencies of dental visits among adult people in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The study was done using Google forms, a free survey administration application.
Results: Out of 532 participants, 92.9% had a history of previous dental visit. Even then, most of them did not feel its importance. The problem of not being severe enough to visit a dentist, financial constraints, lack of time, unsatisfied with previous treatment were some of the reasons cited by the participants as barriers for utilization.
Conclusion: It is evident that the majority of the participants do not realize the need for regular checkups. The majority of the participants’ general mindset is problem-oriented rather than prevention-oriented. A more significant proportion of female participants reported having felt anxious while visiting a dentist at some point in time.

Key words: Dental visits, dental services, regular checkup, oral health