• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2011

In Korea, the elderly is defined as the person aged over 65 and the disabled is defined as the person who is registered with Ministry of Health and Welfare. In 2008, the elderly with disabilities was about 770,000. Korea was already poised for an aging society in 2000 and is ahead of and aged society in 2018 and a super aged society in 2026. So, the number of the elderly with disabilities will continue to grow. Various oral diseases can be seen in the elderly with disabilities due to the systemic disease and impaired self oral care, in addition to the physiological aging. Particularly, we should be care for the aspiration pneumonia, which is the major cause of the death of the elderly. As a professional for the special care dentistry, we should understand the general and dental, individual characteristics of the elderly with disabilities and do proper oral care and treatment. Thereby, the quality of life of the patients might be improved.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-40
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• 2021

Objectives: This study investigated the working conditions of dental hygienists and their challenges in providing oral care to older adults with dementia using focus group interviews. Methods: We collected data for approximately a month beginning from August 2020 and divided the study subjects into two groups: the health dental hygienist and the clinical dental hygienist groups. A total of 11 subjects participated in this study. Results: The oral health management of older adult patients with dementia has not been efficiently carried out in local communities or dental medical institutions. In addition, dental hygienists encounter difficulties in managing the oral health of these patients and hope to actively learn more about their special cases. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to develop a manual or program for the professional implementation of oral health interventions for older adults with dementia.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.247-258
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• 2007

This study intended to provide the basic data for developing the educational materials of the preventive measures of dental diseases and of the improvement method of oral health by examining hospitalized patients' knowledge and practice of oral health. It had a survey for 253 hospitalized patients in D General Hospital located in Ulsan from August 10, 2006 to September 10, 2006. The participants were requested to write down an answer to each question. In relation to the knowledge and practice of oral health, 15 questions were prepared respectively and 5-point scale was employed. The study results were as follows: 1. 53.8% of the participants were females and 25.3% was in the ages of 30~39, 44.7% was high school graduates and 26.1% had professional jobs. 41.9% was hospitalized for less than 5 days. 2. The participants' average knowledge of oral health was $3.79{\pm}0.88$ and their average practice was $3.15{\pm}0.98$, which tells that they knowledge oral health, but they are negligent at practicing it. 3. Female patients showed higher knowledge of oral health than males, and the patients in the ages of 30~39 showed the highest knowledge(pE0.05). In terms of the practice of dental health, younger patients showed higher points. The higher their educational and economic background were, the higher their knowledge and practice of oral health were. In addition, the patients involved in office works or public serves showed higher knowledge and practice too(pE0.05).

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.85-99
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness of dental hygienists about on-the-job training in public health sector in an effort to stir up their on-the-job training(OJT) and to facilitate the planning of successful educational programs. A survey was conducted nationwide for two months in October and November 2006, and the answer sheets from 811 dental hygienists were analyzed. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. 40.7 percent of the dental hygienists investigated never underwent OJT geared toward public officials, which wasn't linked to oral health. 2. As for the experiences of professional oral health education(or OJT) as members of local public dental clinics by service term, 64.9 percent of the dental hygienists who had worked for less than 10 years never received that kind of education, and 70.5 percent of those with a 15-year or more career received that education just once(p<0.05). The dental hygienists who received that education viewed it favorably, as they found that to be conducive to their job performance. In the event of those who didn't receive that education, a lack of chance to do that was the most common reason. 3. In regard to motivation of receiving professional oral health education(or OJT), the largest rate of the dental hygienists who stood at 71.9 percent received that education voluntarily in pursuit of self-development and better job performance. The training programs provided by the oral health division of the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs were excluded in this study. As to educational spending by the dental hygienists or their employers over the past two years, 56.9 percent paid 100 thousand to less than 500 thousand won. 46.6 percent never paid for that, and about 15.5 percent received education at their own expenses. Concerning the form of OJT, lectures were provided to 50.3 percent. 4. The dental hygienists who worked in local public health clinics hoped for more intensive and better education and training related to oral health projects.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.140-149
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• 2021

Background: The aim of these two (pre COVID-19 pandemic) public health studies in Amsterdam were to promote the profession of the oral hygienist and to increase oral health care awareness among (pregnant) women and young mothers, who were visitors of public consumer's exhibitions. Methods: Two cross-sectional studies were carried out. In 2018, during the first study, 1,765 visitors of the Household Fair completed a questionnaire. In 2020, during Study 2, 304 visitors of the Nine-Month Fair completed a semi-structured online questionnaire. At both fairs a team of 'outspoken' oral hygienists, i.e., members of the Foundation 'Goed Gebekt', provided the visitors with tailored advices about general health related to adults, mothers', and their children' oral health, using natural routine interviewing, that was based on their own professional daily practical experience. Results: In Study 1, just over half (53.5%) of a total of 1,742 visitors, (85.7% female) was younger than 45 years old. In Study 2, 210 visitors with a mean age of 30.7 years were included. Most women reported their self-perceived oral health as 'good' (mean=8.0, standard deviation=1.3; range 3~10). Qualified (self) employed oral hygienists seem to be known among the visitors, but still only visited upon referral of the dentists. Up to the age of 18 reimbursements by the basic insurance is still unknown to the public. Conclusion: The Foundation 'Goed Gebekt' encourages other oral hygienists to make their own initiatives and experiences public and to share it. Public awareness is needed for oral health promotion and the development of optimally targeted interventions among (pregnant) women and young mothers by oral hygienists.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.5062-5069
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• 2014

In this study, professional oral care was provided and 3 times a day twice a week by a dental hygienist for 3 months from July 24 to October 25, 2011, to 43 long-term patients in a single nursing facility located at the city of D, and the number of mutans strepococci colonies within the saliva and the level of salivation were then analyzed after 3 samplings with an interval of 1 month to compare the intraoral conditions among the subjects and examine the effects of professional oral care on the Streptococcus mutans population in the intraoral region of long-term patients in a nursing facility. The level of salivation was elevated from 5.8 ml to 6.4 ml after one month and to 7.5mL after two months. The population of bacteria decreased from $6{\times}10^8CFU/ml$ to $3{\times}105CFU/ml$. In terms of the change in the bacterial population in accordance with systemic diseases, the patients with hypertension and diabetes showed a meaningful decrease in the population. As more dental charge and prosthesis are present, the number of bacteria decreased significantly. On account of the close relationship between a professional oral care and the population of Streptococcus mutans at the intraoral region of long-term patients in nursing facilities, various dental health programs should be researched and developed to consider the characteristics of long-term patients in nursing facilities and manage them continuously but effectively.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.961-971
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim of the study was to identify the need of oral health education and prevention? for over 65 years elderly. Methods : his study was to identify the need of oral health management and oral health impact profile among elderly over 65 years. 200 elderly participated in the study, lived in KungBuk and KungNam areas, visited Senior welfare center, from 1st September to 30st December 2008. Results : 1. This majority of respondents are female(74.0%), 75-79 years(29.5%), none education(42.5%), living alone(45.5%), income from children(46.0%), and health insurance(65.5%). 2. In the need of oral health management category, the need of dental treatment are professional toothbrushing, gum treatment, treatment for dental caries, treatment for xerostomia. In the need of prevention and education, the majority participants are 'required'. In oral health impact profile category, the majority participants are 'feel no difficulty during speaking(59.0%)', and 'feel no difficulty during tasting(47.0%)'. In the category, the positive answers are more than negative answers. 3. According to general characteristic with the need of oral health management, famle, obviously income, high level of life are significantly different in the need of prevention and education category. Obviously income is significantly different in the need of dental treatment category. According to general characteristic with the oral health impact profile, getting older, high education are significantly different in disadvantage category. In the case of no spouse, anxiety, physical difficulty, mental difficulty and disadvantage are high score in oral health impact profile. In the case of living alone, pain, anxiety, and disadvantage are high score in oral health impact profile. In the case of no income, limitation of function, pain, anxiety, mental difficulty and disadvantage are high score in oral health impact profile. In the case of no health insurance, anxiety, physical difficulty mental difficulty and lack of sociality are high score in oral health impact profile. 4. The oral health impact profile are positive correlation with the need of dental treatment and the need of prevention education. The effect of oral health impact profile are significantly different with spouse, average of income, the need of prevention education. Conclusions : In Conclusion, the need of prevention education and dental treatment for individual oral health promotion are related with general life condition and life level. Also these are influence of quality of life relate with oral health. These findings are require of development of oral health services program and system from bottom to top.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.373-382
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• 2021

This study conducted a survey to find out the opinions on oral health behavior and oral health education according to gender in health and non-health college students. According to the research results, there were many girls in the health-realted field and boys in the non-health-related college students. Among the oral health behaviors, brushing in school was common in both boys and girls in the health-related college students, and professional oral health education experiences were also found in the health-related college students. The need for oral health education among male students was 76.4% for healh-related college students, 48.3% for non-health-related college students, whereas female health-related college students showed 80.3%, and non-health -related college students were 60.4%. Participation in oral health education in order of male health-related students, male non-health-related students, female health-related students, and female non-health-related students were 81.9%, 68.1%, 84.8% and 73.3% respectively. The preferred method of oral health education was experiential education such as brushing for both male and female in the health-related college students, and lectures by dentists or dental hygienist were the highest reponse for non-health-related college students. The preferred location for oral health education was highest in schools. Through the results of this study, it was considered necessary to develop and disseminate appropriate oral health education programs according to college students' majors and gender, and to form correct oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors for oral health through oral health education.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2020

Background: In this study, we tried to comprehensively explore clinical dental hygienist's experience of a prevention-based incremental oral health care program, which was pilot-operated by dental clinics, define prevention-based incremental oral health care as experienced in the field, and identify factors to be considered. Methods: This study conducted a focus group interview with five dental hygienists who participated in an ongoing oral management pilot project in 2016. The interview was conducted by a researcher, and the co-research team attended as progress assistants and recorded characteristics of the participants, main dictations, and non-verbal characteristics. All interviews were recorded and underwent thematic analysis to examine the questions of the study as the main axis. Results: As a result of the study, 65 meaningful statements were extracted by code, integrated into 24 sub-categories, and structured into 11 categories. Finally, four keywords were drawn: characteristics, facilitating factors, conflicting factors, and improvement measures for prevention-based incremental oral health care. Regarding prevention-based incremental oral health care in dental clinics, dental hygienists were highly aware of the physical and mental burdens of personalized treatment and education for each individual. They were responsible for the patient and for facilitating changes in the behavior of the client, leading to professional satisfaction. The dental team's cooperation and supportive attitude were found essential to continue oral health care in the dental clinic. Conclusion: Through dental team-based treatment philosophy sharing and collaboration, it is possible to provide prevention-based incremental oral health care in dental clinics. In future, it is necessary to develop a system for establishing a sustainable preventative management system for public health promotion.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.635-643
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate dental hygienists understanding of the provisions of oral health care and awareness for the elderly. Methods: A survey was conducted among 285 dental hygienists, currently practicing around Gwangju province, Korea. The questionnaire contained questions on general characteristics of the subjects (5 items), oral health status of the elderly (5 items), and awareness (8 items) among the dental hygienists. The data were analyzed using a chi-square test. IBM SPSS 21.0 program was used for all statistical analyses. Results: The results showed that 47.7% of the dental hygienists took care of 1 to 5 elderly patients per day; they could not provide high quality oral health education to these patients because of lack of knowledge, lack of treatment time, and excessive workload. An analysis of the hygienists' professional educational experience related to oral healthcare of the elderly during university years showed that the older and more experienced hygienists' were less likely to have completed this education, i.e., 22.05% and 10.9%, respectively (p<0.001). Of all the dental hygienists, 62.8% were interested in oral health problems of the elderly, and 34.4% of dental hygienists for geriatric oral care were the most needed for geriatric oral care education (p<0.001). Conclusions: According to these results, it is important that dental hygienists participate in training on oral healthcare for the elderly and develop various programs for managing the oral health of the elderly.