OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status of oral health knowledge, attitude, behavior of 12-15 years old children and provide a theoretical basis of prevention. METHODS: Multi-stage stratified sampling method was used to extract four middle school students from Chongqing districts and counties (2 in the main urban area and 2 suburbs), and their oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors were investigated through questionnaires. All data were entered using Epidata and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 3 902 valid questionnaires were collected. The proportion of people who had good brushing habits was 39.7% (1 548), the average oral health knowledge accuracy rate was 58.9%, and the average oral health positive attitude was 88.6%. The number of middle school students who attended the dental experience was 54.5% (2 127), and that of the school who received oral health education was 17.5% (681). There were gender and regional differences in brushing habits. CONCLUSIONS The knowledge and behavior of oral health among 12-15-year-old middle school students in Chongqing need to be improved. Oral health education for middle school students should be strengthened, especially in rural and suburban areas.
Adolescent ; Attitude to Health ; Child ; Health Behavior ; Health Education, Dental ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Oral Health ; Rural Population ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Toothbrushing

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze correlations between depression, cognitive function, oral health state, ability to perform activities of daily living, oral dryness symptoms, and oral health-related quality of life, and determine factors influencing the latter.METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on questionnaires completed by 260 participants with suspected dementia, residing in South Korea. Psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and dental hygienists visited clinics in the participating regions for examination and questionnaire administration. General characteristics, the geriatric depression scale, ability to perform activities of daily living, cognitive function, oral health state, and oral health-related quality of life were analyzed. Independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted, identifying factors affecting oral health-related quality of life. Data analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 20.0 (IBM Corp., USA), and the significance was set at p<0.05.RESULTS: Approximately 65.0% of participants were female, 63.5% were in their 70s, and 90.0% had health insurance. About 21.5%, 42.0%, and 36.5% were normal, slightly impaired, and had dementia, respectively. High cognitive impairment was associated with poor oral health. Sex, education levels, marital status, and living arrangements influenced oral health-related quality of life. According to the regression analysis, geriatric depression and oral dryness affected the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index scores.CONCLUSION: In conclusion, oral dryness and depression levels among elders influenced oral health-related quality of life. The results showed that to enhance elders' oral health-related quality of life, it is essential to not only improve their oral health state, but also relieve oral health problems, especially oral dryness, and take into consideration their psychological aspects.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dementia ; Dental Hygienists ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Marital Status ; Oral Health ; Psychiatry ; Quality of Life ; Residence Characteristics ; Statistics as Topic

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate allergic rhinitis and the relationship between allergic diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, and dental caries and periodontal disease using the raw data from third year of the 6th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.METHODS: A total of 3,729 subjects aged over 30 years who underwent examination for allergic diseases and an oral health checkup were selected. The data were analyzed using SPSS IBM SPSS ver. 25.0 (IBM Corp., USA). Composite sample cross correlation and composite sample logistic regression analyses were performed using the composite sample general linear model.RESULTS: On examining the socioeconomic characteristics of the subjects suffering from allergic disease and the relationship between allergic disease and oral health, allergic rhinitis was more frequently found in younger subjects with a higher level of education. Periodontal disease and dental caries were more frequent among female, older age groups, lower income earners, and subjects with a lower level of education (p<0.05). On examining the relationship between the oral health characteristics of the subject and allergic diseases and oral health, allergic rhinitis was more common in subjects with a good oral health status perception than those who answered “bad” to the oral health status question. The community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) score was higher in subjects who answered “poor” to the oral health status question, lower frequency of brushing, and higher in subjects using secondary oral hygiene products; the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index was higher in subjects with a perception of poor oral health status (p<0.05). The DMFT index was high in the asthma group, and the CPITN score was high in the group who answered “no” to allergic rhinitis.CONCLUSION: There is a relationship between asthma and allergic rhinitis and the DFMT index and CPITN score. Corresponding oral programs for allergic patients need to be developed.
Asthma ; Dental Caries ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Logistic Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontal Index ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Tooth

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the awareness of the students currently attending dental colleges/schools in Seoul regarding the scope of work done by a dental hygienist (DH) and a chair-side dental assistant (DA).METHODS: A direct questionnaire survey was conducted among 950 students who currently attend dental colleges/schools in Seoul. We were able to use a total of 458 samples for final analysis after excluding inappropriate ones. The contents of this structuralized survey included the obligation of proper name badge use for dental health care personnel, the legal work scopes of a DH and a DA in accordance with the revised execution of the ‘Legal Acts on Medical Technicians’, and the inclusion/exclusion of such contents from dental colleges/schools curricula. The results were statistically analyzed via the IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 software.RESULTS: Many subjects were aware of the difference in scope of work performed by a DH and a DA (P < 0.001), but not their legal obligation to wear appropriate name badges in accordance with the ‘Proposal for the Establishment of the Name Badge Standards for Healthcare Practitioners'. The subjects generally showed higher comprehension of the scope of work performed by a DH (74.3%) than that performed by a DA (57.7%). Without the presence of any corresponding curriculum, accurate responses tended to increase with the students' seniority. Most students (94.4%) agreed with the need to include a class that teaches the scope of work performed by a DH and a DA in their school curricula.CONCLUSIONS: We have found that education regarding ‘Name Badge Standards for Healthcare Practitioners’ and classification of a dental assistant's scope of work is lacking in the existing curriculum. Therefore, it is necessary to establish additional curriculum.
Classification ; Comprehension ; Curriculum ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Assistants ; Dental Hygienists ; Education ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Seoul ; Students, Dental

OBJECTIVES: There is currently little research on dental hygienists' interest and need related to oral care. To perform elderly oral care effectively, dental hygienists must understand the features of aging in the elderly. The purpose of this study is to investigate how dental hygienists' interest affects oral care for the elderly.METHODS: 232 dental hygienists completed a self-reported questionnaire from March to April 2019. The questionnaires consisted of general characteristics of the subjects (6 items), elderly patient experience (11 items), and questions regarding aging (7 items). This study analyzed collected data by frequency analysis, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis.RESULTS: Correlation analysis between concern, need, and participation in elderly oral care showed a significant amount of correlation among all variables. We found that gender (P=0.022), education level (P=0.029), workplace type (P=0.002), and the proportion of future elderly patients were statistically significant (P=0.001) factors affecting the level of concern.CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that experience in treating and caring for the elderly are essential factors for raising the interest and understanding of oral health care for elderly patients. Therefore, we should consider the development of various programs to raise interest in oral health for the elderly.
Aged ; Aging ; Dental Hygienists ; Education ; Humans ; Oral Health

PURPOSE: This study was to identify health behavior, health service use, and health related quality of life of adult women in one-person and multi-person households. METHODS: It was used data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII-2017). Subjects were 2,522 women with age of 19 to 64 years in 2017. Complex sampling design and data analysis were performed using SPSS 20.1. RESULTS: Women in one-person households had higher rates of alcohol drinking (χ²=13.77, p=.003), smoking (χ²=16.07, p=.001), unmet medical care (χ²=8.77, p=.004) and non-practice of cancer screening (χ²=13.77, p=.003) compared to women in multi-person households. Health-related quality of life was also lower for women in one-person households (t=−2.46, p=.015). Factors affecting health-related quality of life in one-person households were household income, job status, and unmet dental care, having 32.4% explanatory power. One-person household women with low incomes, no jobs, and unmet dental care showed low health-related quality of life. In comparison, factors affecting health-related quality of life of women in multi-person household women were age, education level, unmet medical care, and unmet dental care, having 10.4% explaining power. Women in multi-person households with age of 60–64, low education level, unmet medical care, and unmet dental care showed low health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Health promotion strategies should be developed based on unique understanding of social, economic, and health of adult women in one-person and multi-person households.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Dental Care ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Health Services ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the association between the management of oral health and experiences of oral health education and to investigate the influential factors of the Patient Hygiene Performance (PHP) index in an area's university students. In addition, we explored the factors that influence the PHP index and how to effectively promote oral health. METHODS: All collected data were analyzed using the χ2 test, the t-test, and multiple regression using SPSS version 23.0 for Microsoft Windows. The statistical significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: The total age of 380 participants ranged from 18 to 39 years (mean 22.22±2.43). No significant differences were found in oral health status and experiences of oral health education. CONCLUSIONS: Active national-based policies to develop regular and systematic national oral health education programs are needed.
Education ; Health Behavior ; Health Education, Dental ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the oral health service needs and dental treatment among 3-year-old to 5-year-old preschool children in Jiangxi province and provide data to support the development of relevant oral health policies, enhance the oral health service utilization and visit rate, and optimize oral manpower and service resources. METHODS: A total of 2 880 preschool children were selected via stratified cluster sampling. Dental examination methods and criteria according to the fourth national oral health epidemiological survey were adopted. Excel 2007 and SPSS 19.0 softwares were used for statistics analysis. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: The caries prevalence was 49.13% (1 415/2 880) among the 2 880 cases of 3-
year-old to 5-year-old preschool children in Jiangxi province, approximately 53.37% (1 537/2 880) of which possessed oral health service needs. The parents of younger children assessed the oral situation better in older age than in their younger years (P<0.05), which was better in urban children than in rural children (P<0.05). The visiting rate of all the respondents was 12.33% (355/2 880), while the visiting rate of children with oral diseases was 17.31% (266/1 537). The top three reasons why patients did not visit the dentist were as follows: children's teeth have no problem, the teeth damage in teeth was considerably minimal, and primary teeth would be replaced without the need for treatment. The influencing factors included lower visiting rate in females than in males (OR=0.499, 95%CI: 0.411-0.606) and lower visiting rates in rural areas than in urban areas (OR=0.428, 95%CI: 0.353-0.519). Subjects with poor oral health and high oral knowledge scores possessed high dental service visit rates. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of caries in 3-year-old to 5-year-old preschool children in Jiangxi province is at a lower level than that in the national level. The proportion of the population actively seeking medical services is low, and their main purpose of treatment is to treat rather than prevention. Oral health education should be strengthened, and it should be incorporated to the contents of the kindergarten teacher training program to improve residents' awareness regarding children's oral health.
Child, Preschool ; DMF Index ; Dental Caries ; Female ; Health Education, Dental ; Humans ; Male ; Oral Health ; Prevalence ; Tooth, Deciduous

This study's aim was to investigate their opinions to improve the educational system for dental hygienists on the basis of their duties as dental hygienists. The qualitative study was conducted among 19 dental hygienists at Daejeon, Korea from July to August 2016. Two researchers followed each subject for working hours in a day and recorded all the tasks and time to take for each task. After one day, the researchers met each subject and conducted face-to-face interviews to investigate the opinions about the dental hygiene curriculum and national board examination. The main duties recognized by more than half of the subjects were oral disease prevention including scaling and dental treatment assistance. The subjects' minority opinion about the main duties included radiography, impression taking, dental implant surgery assistance, orthodontic treatment, patient counseling, dental management and staff management, and oral health education. The most important tasks perceived by the subjects were prosthetic and implant impressions, scaling and implant surgery assistance. The subjects' minority opinion about the most important duties included patient counseling and making temporary crowns. The most difficult tasks answered by the subjects were prosthetic and implant impressions and dental implant surgery assistance. The subjects' minority opinion about it included patient counseling, scaling, and making temporary crowns. They mentioned that their curriculum in college was different from the actual work and the national board examination was not reflective of their real duties. We found out Korean dental hygienists had a lot of roles as dental assistants, dental business managers, and so on. We suggest that the law, curriculum and national board examination for dental hygienists should be revised to be able to reflect the reality of the clinical field.
Commerce ; Counseling ; Crowns ; Curriculum ; Dental Assistants ; Dental Hygienists* ; Dental Implants ; Education* ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Licensure ; Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene* ; Radiography

As the elderly population increases, they are increasingly affected by oral health problems. Therefore, efforts are being made to improve the oral health of older people, alleviate mental discomfort, and reduce unmet dental needs. This study was conducted to confirm the relationship between the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage and the unmet dental need for the edentulous elderly, as part of the protection policy. We analyzed the 2011 and 2013 Community Health Survey data of the edentulous elderly, aged 75 years or older, before 2012. In order to more precisely confirm the effects of the denture donation policy on unmet dental care, basic life recipients who were subject to the free elderly prosthetic project were excluded from the analysis. The final analysis included 20,400 subjects. According to our investigation of the factors that affect the unmet dental needs of the elderly, the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage did not affect unmet dental needs. The statistically significant variables that affected the unmet dental needs of the elderly were education and income levels, which are representative socioeconomic status variables. The lower the level of education, the unhealthier the dental care experience, and income levels showed a similar tendency. The elderly who have a low socioeconomic status are more likely to experience unmet dental needs because they lack the knowledge and socioeconomic ability to pay for dental care. Therefore, the policy for health protection of the entire elderly population should be continuously expanded. In addition, the socioeconomically vulnerable groups may have health problems due to the restriction of medical use, which may lead to quality of life deterioration.
Aged* ; Dental Care ; Dentures* ; Education ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; National Health Programs* ; Oral Health ; Quality of Life ; Social Class