Table 1 Prevalence of oral pain and type of health service sought in response to the last pain experienced by area-level and individual-level socio-economic position (SEP)

Oral pain prevalence

20.2 (16.5–24.3)

(n = 185)

23.9 (19.6–28.9)

(n = 209)

14.4 (11.3–18.0)

(n = 122)

<0.05

21.7 (18.0–25.9)

(n = 191)

19.1 (15.7–23.2)

(n = 167)

16.9 (13.7–20.7)

(n = 158)

Private dental clinic

20.8 (12.7–32.2)

(n = 44)

35.0 (27.0–43.9)

(n = 81)

42.0 (30.0–55.0)

(n = 46)

11.9 (7.5–18.5)

(n = 23)

28.3 (19.3–39.3)

(n = 45)

64.7 (53.4–74.5)

(n = 103)

≤0.005

Public dental clinic

36.4 (27.0–47.0)

(n = 70)

43.6 (33.8–53.9)

(n = 78)

30.7 (21.3–42.1)

(n = 45)

45.0 (36.0–54.4)

(n = 90)

42.6 (32.5–53.4)

(n = 72)

19.7 (12.0–30.6)

(n = 31)

≤0.005

Nurse/GP/hospital

11.9 (6.4–21.2)

(n = 23)

14.7 (8.0–25.7)

(n = 25)

3.4 (1.5–7.7)

(n = 8)

17.4 (10.3–27.8)

(n = 31)

6.7 (3.5–12.4)

(n = 15)

6.2 (2.9–12.5)

(n = 10)

≤0.005

Self-medication

7.8 (4.4–13.5)

(n = 14)

5.7 (3.2–10.2)

(n = 20)

12.3 (4.9–27.4)

(n = 10)

10.0 (5.0–19.0)

(n = 14)

8.1 (4.2–15.0)

(n = 14)

5.1 (2.9–9.0)

(n = 16)

Home remedy

11.3 (6.8–18.1)

(n = 24)

10.0 (6.1–15.9)

(n = 28)

10.7 (6.0–18.2)

(n = 15)

11.1 (6.7–18.0)

(n = 28)

12.9 (8.1–19.9)

(n = 27)

7.0 (3.4–13.9)

(n = 12)

Did nothing

20.8 (13.2–31.2)

(n = 26)

2.5 (0.7–8.3)^*

(n = 3)

4.7 (1.9–10.9)^a

(n = 8)

<0.005

13.3 (8.0–21.3)

(n = 21)

9.8 (4.4–20.4)

(n = 10)

6.4 (2.4–15.6)

(n = 6)