The study identified, among a multiplicity of demographic and psycho-social variables, the factors which discriminate between preventively and symptomatically oriented individuals regarding dental health care for both self (mother) and her children; determined if a relationship exists between orientation to medical care in general and dental health care in particular among Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and Anglos; and determined if differences exist in attitudinal measures related to perceived dental care benefits, severity of, susceptibility to, and preventability of tooth decay between children participating in voluntary dental examinations and those who did not. A questionnaire was administered to 285 Mexican American, 38 Native American, and 172 Anglo mothers by female interviewers of the same ethnic group and geographic area. Orientation models toward dental care were developed for Mexican Americans and a combined Native American-Anglo group; Native children were eliminated from the child analysis since they were examined annually by the Public Health Service. Some findings were: the symptomatic group scored higher on those factors having negative implications; and no relationship existed between dental care orientation and medical care orientation except for the Mexican American group. (Author/NQ)