• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.91-103
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• 2017

General anesthesia is commonly used to facilitate dental treatment in patients with anxiety or challenging behavior, many of whom are children or patients with special needs. When performing procedures under general anesthesia, dental surgeons must perform a thorough pre-operative assessment, as well as ensure that the patients are aware of the potential risks and that informed consent has been obtained. Such precautions ensure optimal patient management and reduce the frequency of morbidities associated with this form of sedation. Most guidelines address the management of pediatric patients under general anesthesia. However, little has been published regarding this method in patients with special needs. This article constitutes a review of the current literature regarding management of patients with special needs under general anesthesia.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.182-187
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• 2018

As the elderly population increases, they are increasingly affected by oral health problems. Therefore, efforts are being made to improve the oral health of older people, alleviate mental discomfort, and reduce unmet dental needs. This study was conducted to confirm the relationship between the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage and the unmet dental need for the edentulous elderly, as part of the protection policy. We analyzed the 2011 and 2013 Community Health Survey data of the edentulous elderly, aged 75 years or older, before 2012. In order to more precisely confirm the effects of the denture donation policy on unmet dental care, basic life recipients who were subject to the free elderly prosthetic project were excluded from the analysis. The final analysis included 20,400 subjects. According to our investigation of the factors that affect the unmet dental needs of the elderly, the National Health Insurance Elderly Denture Coverage did not affect unmet dental needs. The statistically significant variables that affected the unmet dental needs of the elderly were education and income levels, which are representative socioeconomic status variables. The lower the level of education, the unhealthier the dental care experience, and income levels showed a similar tendency. The elderly who have a low socioeconomic status are more likely to experience unmet dental needs because they lack the knowledge and socioeconomic ability to pay for dental care. Therefore, the policy for health protection of the entire elderly population should be continuously expanded. In addition, the socioeconomically vulnerable groups may have health problems due to the restriction of medical use, which may lead to quality of life deterioration.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.770-778
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• 2015

This article discusses how to conduct treatment planning and decision making in special needs dentistry. Special needs patients often lack cooperative ability during dental treatment and have a deteriorated oral health status. To overcome the limitation in communication with special needs patients and solve their complicated dental problems, dentists need to have extensive preoperative information about the patients and their caregivers. Treatment procedures should be organized in a patient-centered and cost-effective manner. Additionally, clinical outcomes need to be predicted taking into consideration of the patients' condition. The clinical experience of committed dentists is another factor that enhances the benefits of extensive treatment in special needs patients with many limitations. The insightful treatment decision-making of dentists will contribute to improving the oral health of special needs patients despite the various obstacles.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.823-829
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• 2015

Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the related factors of non-utilization of dental care among Korean adults. Methods: Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 was carried out in South Korea. A total of 5,589 adults were interviewed and examined. A multinominal logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals for the non-utilization of dental care. Results: The non-utilization of dental care was shown to have a badly perceived oral health status, less toothbrushing before sleeping(OR=1.18: 95% CI=1.00-1.39), periodontitis symptoms (OR=1.82: 95% CI=1.50-2.22), toothache experience (OR=2.03: 95% CI=1.75-2.34), TMJ symptom experience (OR=3.31: 95% CI=2.74-3.99), speaking problem (OR=1.87: 95% CI=1.75-2.34) and a partial dentures needs (OR=2.49: 95% CI=1.93-3.19). Conclusions: The non-utilization of dental care tended to have badly perceived oral health status, less toothbrushing before sleeping, periodontitis, toothache experience, TMJ symptom experience, speaking problem, and partial dentures needs.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.7-10
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• 2018

Special care dentistry, also known as special needs dentistry, is concerned with the oral health of people who have intellectual disability, or who are affected by other medical, physical, or psychiatric issues. Dental schools must educate dental students for the competency in managing and treating individuals with special health care needs. The purpose of this study is to identify the current status of special care dentistry education in Korean dental schools. A questionnaire relating to the education of special care dentistry was sent to eleven dental schools in Korea via email. The result turned out that eight out of eleven schools had classroom teaching of special care dentistry, while only four had practical teaching programs. Nine schools had dental clinics for the disabled, in which two of them had special care clinics within the Pediatric dentistry clinic, and other seven in separate clinical sites. Despite the increased interest in special care dentistry, education including classroom teaching and practical teaching was still insufficient and needed more development. This study implicated a small but valuable understanding of special needs dentistry education in Korea.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.117-129
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of demographic characteristics and oral health status on unmet dental needs among preschool children and to provide a basis for improvement of the dental care equality and accessibility using data from the $6^{th}$ National Health and Nutrition Survey. Methods: This study was performed using data collected from the $6^{th}$ National Health and Nutrition Survey. The subjects were 1,472 out of 22,940 people, who participated in the survey and under went oral examination. IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 20.0) was used for statistical analyses based on the complex sampling design. Frequency analysis was performed to determine the distribution of unmet dental needs according to the characteristics of the subjects. The Rao-Scott ${\chi}^2$ test was performed to examine the relationship of unmet dental needs with general characteristics and health- and oral health-related variables. Relevant factors were determined using binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The factors that had statistically significant relations with unmet dental needs included age, medical insurance, household income, limited physical activity, history of dental caries in deciduous teeth, and subjective health status. Logistic regression analysis of complex samples was conducted to determine factors related to unmet dental needs. The results of analysis showed that limited physical activity and history of dental caries in deciduous teeth were related to unmet dental needs. Conclusions: The results show the factors affecting, and the reasons for, the unmet dental needs of preschool children. Future studies are needed to develop national projects and oral health education reforms to address inequalities in preschool children's dental care.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of care workers' knowledge of elderly oral health, education on elderly oral healthcare and behavioral needs, awareness of elderly oral healthcare, and actual practices in elderly oral healthcare. Furthermore, it explores the mediating effects of elderly oral healthcare education and behavioral needs on the relationship between awareness and practice. Methods: Data were collected from October 11 to December 29, 2023, from 172 certified care workers employed in nursing hospitals and other workplaces. For analyzing the data, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical regression were conducted using SPSS Statistics 21.0. Results: Elderly oral health knowledge, education and behavioral needs, awareness, and practice were significantly higher among: those aged 51 years and older, female, primarily working in nursing hospitals, with a total career span of 10 years, higher job satisfaction, in organizations prioritizing elderly oral healthcare, and with superior education in elderly oral health. Elderly oral healthcare education and behavioral needs had partial mediating effects on the relationship between care workers' awareness and practice of elderly oral healthcare. Conclusions: The current practices and challenges in care workers' oral healthcare for the elderly will be analyzed, and recommendations and strategies for improving practices will be formulated.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.809-817
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the unmet dental care needs of the living alone and living with family elderly groups to confirm the differences in their influence. Methods: Data from the Korea Health Panel Study of 2016 were used to analyze a total of 4,987 individuals: 4,008 in living with family group and 979 in living alone group. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS Version 22 (p<0.05). Results: We observed that 16.5% and 28.3% of the participants from the living with family and living alone groups had unmet dental care needs, respectively, indicating that the living alone group had more unmet dental care needs. Income level, residential area, and healthcare security were significant factors related to the living with family group. In contrast, medical aid for healthcare security was a significant factor related to the living alone group (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results confirmed that socioeconomic factors that affect unmet dental care vary according to the living situation. Therefore, the government should identify the number of elderly individuals living alone, which is increasing annually. These individuals are vulnerable in almost all aspects, and the government should establish and implement appropriate oral healthcare policies to support them.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2024

Objectives: This was carried out to develop an integrated care convergence curriculum. Methods: An online survey was conducted on 312 public health college students, and frequency analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square test were conducted. Results: Awareness of convergence education (2.55) and experience of convergence education (10.3%) were low, but those with education experience had high awareness of integrated care and convergence education (p<0.001). The need for education (3.07) and manpower training (3.14) were both high, and the preferred training content was first aid (3.57). Conclusions: Additional research is needed on the development of integrated care convergence curriculum.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.875-887
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• 2017

Objectives: The objective of this study is to provide basic data needed in developing an educational program designed to upgrade capacity and awareness of preventive dental treatment among oral health workers, by analyzing levels of awareness of preventive dental treatment and educational needs among dentists and dental hygienists. Methods: The collected data was analyzed with SPSS program ver. 19.0. The data was under t-test. Results: The frequency level of giving preventive dental treatment to patients among dentists and dental hygienists is below mid-point, 3 on the 5-point Likert scale. In terms of frequency level per item, scaling & polishing was ranked the highest, followed by periodontal maintenance, tooth-brushing instruction, and prescription and instruction of oral care product in descending order. On the questions asking how important preventive dental care they perceive to be, both dentists and dental hygienists perceived it to be highly important. When they were asked to rank those items by the importance of education, they considered periodontal maintenance as the most important one, followed by individual education of oral health, incremental oral health care, scaling& polishing, toothbrushing instruction, and prescription and instruction of oral care product. Respondents pointed out problems in running a preventive dental treatment program as follows: overwork, lack of dedicated workforce, un-fixed costs, and lack of necessary equipment. When they were asked to point out items needed to run such a program, the largest number of respondents indicated dedicated workforce placement, followed by improving awareness of the customer, and improving awareness of the dental workers. Conclusions: In order to effectively run a preventive dental treatment program, it is necessary for oral health workers to clearly understand the concept of it. It is also necessary to develop and operate an education program on preventive dental treatment targeting oral health professionals.