Could your teeth, or lack of them, affect your romantic life? A research project on the subject, under the auspices of the Department of Health, would like to know the answer to this question and others besides.
For instance, does the colour of your teeth have any bearing or your social life, or are those crooked teeth hindering your job performance? If you were richer and a male, would your teeth be in better condition? It may be a long way from the "if it hurts, yank it out" approach of yesteryear, but this study of some 7,000 adults throughout the State is the most extensive undertaken in Ireland and is designed to inform the future direction of dental policy.
A decade ago a similar survey undertaken by the Department threw up some interesting results. For example, it was found that without any apparent reason women were more prone to loss of teeth than men, and almost 72 per cent of Irish adults aged over 62 were toothless by the late 1970s, whereas 10 years later that figure had dropped to 48 per cent.
Once the data in the present survey have been collated, the researchers will be able to determine whether this improvement is continuing, and the findings will be used to intervene positively in the formulation of policy initiatives over the next decade.
According to Dr Helen Whelton, principal investigator, and Dr Evelyn Crowley, research fellow on the project, which is being administered by the Oral Health Services Research Centre at UCC, identifying such dramatic changes in oral health can have a major effect on the demand for services.
For example, the last survey highlighted the fact that female medical cardholders in non-fluoridated areas had poorer oral health at the end of the 1980s when compared with other groups which did not have medical cards but lived in fluoridated areas.
That finding prompted the creation of the Dental Treatment Services Scheme, offering holders of medical cards free dental service and a choice of dentists. It was a direct intervention on the basis of the survey data which might not otherwise have been made.
The 30 teams working on the survey include specially-trained dentists and dental nurses. Besides measuring tooth loss and decay, they are looking at gum disease, teeth alignment and whether people are satisfied with the colour of their teeth.
The level of tooth sensitivity is being measured, and participants are also being examined for oral diseases. Their general health history is being recorded, too. The project team stresses the confidential nature of the respondents' answers to the questionnaire and points out that the material will be used purely for statistical purposes.
What makes this survey different is that the people in it are being treated not so much as patients but as consumers whose views are seen as a vital part of healthcare provision. That is why quality-of-life questions are included for the first time.
Questions include the link between oral health and romantic relationships, oral health and work, how confidence is affected by the condition of one's teeth and what effect oral health has on general health. The questionnaire is specifically geared to elicit information on what the public thinks of the general dental service in the Republic.
The targeted number of 7,000 participants represents a random sample and is in the 16-24, 35-44 and 65-and-over age groups. Most individuals are contacted by letter but, foot-and-mouth permitting, the survey teams are also knocking on doors, inviting people to participate.
If necessary, 20-minute pain-free dental assessments will be conducted in a person's own home, but the preferred option, because of the availability of facilities, is for people to go to dental clinics of their choice at a time that suits them.
As well as a free check-up and having their say as to how the dental services measure up, each respondent will receive £10 by way of expenses. Some 2,500 people have taken part so far, but Dr Crowley and Dr Whelton say they are confident that by July, when the survey is due to be completed, all the invitees will have responded.
They point out that people with no teeth who may have received letters should not be deflected from coming to the clinics, as they are also considered to be an important part of the research.
Dr Crowley said: "The survey represents the most detailed investigation of adults' oral health ever undertaken on a national basis in Ireland. It is designed to provide new insights into the concerns facing adults regarding their oral health and how current services are equipped to deal with their oral health problems in the 21st century."
She added that field work on a new survey of children's oral health would begin next September.