• 대한치과기공학회지
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.413-425
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• 2011

Purpose: This study conducted a survey on the elderly with physical debilities, who are in a medically vulnerable social class, to examine closely their demo-sociological characteristics, unmet needs, dental states, and living qualities and satisfaction levels relating to oral health and social supports to them, and also to prepare the basis for effective public medical policies and health improvement programs aimed at improving the quality of life for the elderly with physical debilities. Methods: Twenty-two elderly care facilities within Jeju Special Self-Government Province participated in the survey. Between 11 January and 5 March 2010, a total of 250 elderly persons(65 and over) with physical debilities were interviewed and their dental health was checked. Results: The results of the survey are as follows. The need for social support for dental care of the elderly with physical debilities was high in the medical institution-supported service (49.6%). The unmet needs for physical care were high in bathing (49.6%) and using public transportation (71.6%). More than half of these surveyed had ten or fewer teeth. The survey found that 31.6% of the participants experienced problems eating, due to poor dental health. Concerning quality of life, 30.5% of those surveyed experienced physical pain. Conclusion: In summary, the ages of the survey participants directly relates to the degree of behavioral debility experienced. The more debility a participant exhibits, the greater is the need for social support and dental care. The dental health of a participant directly relates to a higher quality of life. Good dental health of a participant translate to better quality of life. In light of the fact that the elderly with physical debilities suffer from a lack of accessibility to medical care and worse oral health than do other elderly persons, it is essential to increase accessibility to medical institutions that can provide such services as door to door dental care. Current insurance policies, funding for denture insurance, and free denture and denture-upgrade programs desperately need to be expanded. Therefore, to improve effectively the quality of life for the elderly with physical debilities civil dental medical resources should be encouraged to provide inclusive and prevention-focused medical care. In the public domain, door to door dental care services and cooperation with civil dental care resources need to be improved to increase impartial accessibility to dental medical institutions.

• 대한치과기공학회지
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.273-281
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• 2012

Purpose: This study conducted a survey on the elderly of 65 years and over with physical debilities and ones capable of living at home residing in Jeju Special Self-Government Province to compare and analyze demo-sociological characteristics and factors influencing on oral health related living quality. And also this study intended to provide basic data for developing effective public medical policies and health promotion programs to increase oral health related living quality of the elder. Methods: The elderly of 65 years and over living in Jeju Special Self-Government Province were interviewed individually from 7 February 2011 to 18 April and interview results of a total of 220 subjects were analysed for this study. Results: Current status of the elderly including ones with & without physical debilities influenced functional limitation and behavioral aspects of GOHAI criteria used in this study. The elderly with physical debilities experienced less limitation in food chewing and swallowing, and pronunciation than ones capable of living at home. On the analogy of the previous study(by Park, N. G., 2010) in which oral health related quality and satisfaction of life of the elderly with physical debilities were different due to their physical, circumstantial and psychological limitations, the former's oral health conditions are worse than the ones capable of living at home and because of medical care accessability limitation they suffer from deteriorated oral condition. By the comparison of factors influencing on the living quality relating to the oral health of the elderly with physical debilities and ones capable of living at home, 2 factors, age and living area, were meaningful factors commonly influencing on the oral health related living qualities of both. The elderly of 75 years and over were more affected by psychological and behavioral aspects of oral health related living quality than the ones of 65-74 years, and the ones living in country suffered from functional limitations, pains and discomfort more than ones in city. Additionally, being different from the elderly capable of living at home, the ones with physical debilities were influenced by the factors of average monthly income and medical security type. Conclusion: Improvement of programs and systems to increase oral health related quality of life needs to be carried out preferentially for the elderly of 75 years and over, and dwelling in country. Also this study suggests that the policy of paying the denture insurance allowance in 2012 need effective planning considering the elderly's current status, age, living area, medical security type.