A study on the status of the Dental Health of Adults

일 지역 성인의 구강건강실태에 관한 조사연구

The purpose of this study is to investigate the state of the dental health of adults, used self-reporting qestionnaire as objects of 923 residents living in nine districts at random among the sites of eleven town located in a County. The level of knowledge on dental health of adults in a County was 65.6 points out of 100 points, comparatively low. Accodingly, it is necessary for entire adults to have a dental health-related education and get high standard of knowledge. Especially, educational approach should be performed for groups of 40-49 years old, 50-59 years old, above 60 years old, male, no educational background, having only elementary and middle school education, not having any jobs, engaging in agriculture, doing business on their own and so on. When planning the contents of health education, one actually has to include the habit of amalgam, the factor in influencing on dental health as well as show an example such as how to brush teeth, checking point of proper brushing, how to grip toothbrush. The attitude score related to dental heath was 71.2 points out of 100 points, relatively low. Consequently, the change of attitude related the dental health among entire adults is necessary, particularily, the strategical approach is essential to change dental health connected to attitude positively for groups of male, having high school education background, office workers and the civil service. Besides, among dental health related symtoms, more that 30-40％ of objects showed negative attitude toward as the following cases; in case that plaque or food debris are attached to the teeth (40.8％), upper and lower teeth do not fit together(40.3％), you cannot sleep well because of toothache(31.0％), more than one tooth fall out(31.0％), you have loosing teeth(30.6％), the approach should be conducted to form attitude that dental care is necessry. The state of dental health through dental health related symtoms was 33.3 points out of 100 points, which was fairly satisfactory. However, dental treatment for the state of dental health should be executed in case of comparison of the dental health state according to general characteristics, the group who are above 60 years old, have elementary school education background, engage in aggriculture who are not good in dental health state as opposed to other groups. Furthermore, there should be dental care needs according to dental health related symtoms, particularly, more than 60-70％ of objects have experienced symtoms that plaque or food debris attached to the teeth, tartar is on the teeth so dental treatment should be peformed for a large number of adults. In addition, for the people who have indications that there was a cavity, more than one tooth loss, chilled teeth, toothache when chewing, loose teeth, upper and lower teeth do not fit together, you cannnt sleep well due to the toothach, etc, there should be care through dental treatment. The actual conditions of the hygine of the mouth was relatively good and the difference of the actual state of dental health care in terms of general characteristics showed in only gender; female was more careful in dental health. Comparing the state of oral health synthetically, when they have symtoms, only 34.8％ of objects go to a dentist, 60.7％ are using passive or negative care such as gargling, tolerating or ignoring. There was many symtoms to care through dental therapy such as plaque or food debris get in between the teeth, tartar on the teeth, teeth are very cold, more than one tooth fallout, loose teeth, there is wrong amalgam, and so on, among symtoms to care passively or negatively. Therefore the education for proper treatment program should be performed. As a result of dental health-related knowlege, attitude, health state, verification of correlation between the actual condition of care, the higher the dental heath-related knowldege becomes, the more positive the dental health-related attitude is, and the state of dental health, that is, the standard of the symtom of dental health diminishes. the care for dental health executed through more active method and the more positive dental health-related attitude is, the more active means they performed. Consequently, the high level of dental health-related knowledge should be necessary, the more positive the dental health-related attitude was, the more active method they adopted, therefore, the program is needed to form attitude related to the dental health positively. As the knowledge on dental health is increasing, the attitude is also positive, after all, the plan to increase the standard of knowledge on dental health should be contrived through education program related to dental health.