Abstract
Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes toward and practice of oral health management among adults in the Gumi area. Health behavior especially drinking and smoking have been proven to affect the tissues around the teeth and increasing in importance. Thus the study set out to examine oral management according to drinking and smoking to suggest a need for education about oral health and provide basic data for oral health education. Methods : Total 226 subjects, who consist of 141 male adults and 85 female adults, in Gumi were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire on October 24, 2009. Their answers to the items about general characteristics, health behavior, and oral health behavior were analyzed with the SPSS WIN 12.0 program. Results : 1. As for the frequency of visiting a dental clinic(hospital) for the last year, the non-movement group recorded higher frequency than the movement group, and the drinking group also did than the non-drinking group(p<0.05). 2. As for the experience and frequency of scaling, the female subjects were higher in the experience and frequency of scaling than their male counterparts. The older they got, the more they tended to have scaling. The married respondents had more experiences of scaling than the singles, and the non-drinking group was high in the experience of scaling(p<0.05). 3. As for the number, time, and method of toothbrushing a day, more women answered they brushed teeth three times or more per day than men; those who were in their forties were the highest in terms of the roll method, and those who were in their twenties were the highest in terms of toothbrushing time. The married group and the non-smoking group answered they brushed teeth in the roll method three times or more per day in higher percentage. And the non-drinking group was high in the roll method, which was statistically significant(p<0.05). 4. As for use and kinds of auxiliary oral hygiene devices, the female respondents used them more than their male counterparts. The older they became, the more they used them. The married group, the non-smoking group, and the non-drinking group used such devices a lot. The smoking group used dental floss most, and the non-smoking group used more kinds of such devices than the smoking group, which was statistically significant(p<0.05). Conclusion : Oral diseases can be prevented by adopting healthy and right oral management behavior. Using the findings of the study, more diverse programs about actual oral health education should be activated so that people can change their bad oral management and behavior and develop a habit of the right oral management attitude.