Relationship of Dental Health Assessment to the Number of Existing Permanent Tooth in Senior Citizens Visited a Dental Hospital or Clinic from Some Regions

치과병·의원에 내원한 65세 이상 노인의 치아건강사정에 따른 현존영구치아수

Relationship of Dental Health Assessment to the Number of Existing Permanent Tooth in Senior Citizens visited a dental hospital or clinic from Some Regions. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the dental health assessment of elderly people who were at the age of 65 and up to the number of existing permanent tooth in an effort to lay the groundwork for pinpointing problems with their oral status and developing programs geared toward improving their dental health and quality of life. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. Regarding self-perceived dental health, the largest group of the senior citizens that accounted for 57.9 percent didn't find themselves to be in good dental health. The second largest group that represented 32.5 percent thought their dental health was at an ordinary level, and the third greatest number of them that stood at 9.5 percent considered themselves to be in good dental health. Their self-perceived dental health status was statistically significantly different according to education and monthly income, and whether they had a job or not made a statistically significant difference to that as well(p < .01, p < .001). 2. In terms of taste appreciation, 58.7 percent, the largest group, didn't appreciate one or two kinds of taste, and their taste appreciation was statistically significantly different according to education and monthly income(p < .05, p < .01). 3. As for chewing ability, 20.6 percent were able to chew well. In regard to digestion, 69.0 percent had an ordinary level of digestive power. 4. Concerning the number of existing permanent tooth, 38.9 percent, the greatest percentage, had ten or less permanent teeth. By education, the possession of 21or more permanent teeth(40.0%) was most common among those who received high-school or higher education. The greatest group of the senior citizens with a job had 11 to 20 permanent teeth(41.7%), and the largest number of the elderly people whose monthly income was 500 thousand won or more were in possession of 11 to 20 permanent teeth(41.7%). The number of existing permanent tooth statistically significantly differed with their general characteristics(p < .01). 5. As to connections between dental health and the number of existing permanent tooth, 21 permanent teeth or more were owned by those who were in good dental health, who appreciated different tastes and whose chewing ability was good. So there was a statistically significant relationship between the two.

본 연구는 일부지역 치과 병의원에 내원한 5세 이상 노인의 치아건강사정과 현존영구치아수의 관계를 파악하여 노인의 구강상태의 문제점 파악과 삶의 질을 향상하기 위한 구강건강증진 프로그램을 개발하는데 기초 자료로 활용하고자 조사한 결과 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1. 노인이 지각한 치아건강상태는 건강하지 않다고 응답한 경우 57.9%로 가장 높았고 보통이다 32.5%, 건강하다 9.5%로 순으로 나타났으며, 교육수준, 직업유무, 월수입에 따라 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 있는 것으로 나타났다(p < .01, p < .001). 2. 노인의 음식 맛 구별 정도는 한두 가지 맛의 구별이 잘 안 되는 노인이 58.7%로 가장 많았으며, 교육수준, 월평균수입에 따라 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 있는 것으로 나타났다(p < .05, p < .01). 3. 노인의 저작능력은 잘 씹을 수 있는 노인이 20.6%, 소화정도는 보통인 경우가 69.0%로 조사되었다. 4. 노인의 구강 내 현존영구치아수는 전체적으로 10개 이하가 38.9%로 가장 많았다. 교육수준별로는 고졸이상에서 21개 이상(40.0%)이 가장 많았고, 직업이 있는 경우는 11~20개(41.7%)가 가장 많았으며, 월평균수입이 50만원 이상인 경우 11~20개(41.7%)가 가장 많아 일반적인 특징과 통계적으로 유의한 차이를 나타냈다(p < .01). 5. 치아건강사정에 따른 구강내 현존영구치아수는 치아가 건강한 경우, 음식의 맛을 구별하는 경우 및 잘 씹는 경우는 현존영구치가 21개 이상으로 나타나 통계적으로 유의한 차이를 나타내었다(p < .001).