Type of question Notes
Questions on oral health conditions Do your gums bleed when you eat, brush your teeth or floss? Answers showed in card as:
1. Yes often;
2. Yes, occasionally;
3. No, never.
The interviewer coded the answer (Dichotomised during analysis as Yes/No).
Have you had any toothache or pain in your mouth within the last month, or are you having any at present? Answers showed in card as Yes/No.
The interviewer coded the answer.
Do you have any problems or difficulties biting or chewing food? Answers showed in card as:
1. Yes often;
2. Yes, occasionally;
3. No, never.
The interviewer coded the answer (Dichotomised during analysis as Yes/No).
Adults can have up to 32 natural teeth but over time people lose some of them. How many natural teeth, including crowns have you got? Answers showed in card as:
1. No natural teeth;
2. Fewer than 10 natural teeth;
3. Between 10 and 19 natural teeth;
4. 20 or more natural teeth.
The interviewer coded the answer.
Question on oral hygiene habits Which of the following do you do daily to improve your dental and oral health Answers showed in cards including:
1. Brushing my teeth with fluoridated toothpaste;
2. Use dental floss;
The interviewer coded all that apply.
Question on arthritis Do you have a long-standing physical or mental condition or disability that has troubled you for at least 12 months, or that is likely to affect you for at least 12 months? Answered by Yes/No.
If yes, the answer is recorded by the interviewer and any of the below mentioned terms will be recorded under the code “Arthritis/rheumatism/fibrositis”.
The terms are: “Arthritis as result of broken limb, arthritis/rheumatism in any part of the body, gout, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatic, polyarteritis nodosa, psoriasis arthritis, rheumatic symptoms, Still’s disease”.