Longitudinal and Epidemiological Study for Nationally Insured Patients of Private Dental Clinic in Korea

Purpose: This study want to draw conclusion based on data taken from national health insurance and determined the distribution and direction of patients treated at private clinics. Methods: The author's research spanned and compared the nationally insured patients by sexes, diagnoses, age groups and cases per year (2005, 2009, and 2013). Subjects were 3,536 patients of a private clinic in Seoul that were covered under national insurance. Results: There was no disparity across sexes nor cases, but both were on the decline. The most common dental conditions were pulpitis and dental caries at 38.4% and 16.4%, respectively. Both have decreased. Despite a drop in overall patients, the percentage of patients under 10 years old jumped substantially. Of overall age groups, teens were most prevalent at 33.5%, second and third being those in their forties and fifties (14.2% and 12.0%, respectively). Conclusions: The major illnesses that plague patients are pulpitis, dental caries, eruption disorder, gingivitis and periodontitis: the wane of pulpitis cases (a considerable percentage) and the actual numbers of patients has contributed to the general decrease in cases.