• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.620-627
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with medical care utilization, the level of recognition, satisfaction, revisit and recommendation after implementing the expanded health insurance coverage of dental scaling. A questionnaire survey was conducted and analyzed among 608 adults living in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do April 1st to 30th, 2014. The results of the survey are as follows: 76.9% of the respondents know the expanded health insurance coverage, which is influenced by educational background and monthly income. The level of satisfaction, revisit and recommendation intention is affected meaningfully by educational background. Two factors, high school graduate or less and dental hygienist, meaningfully affect patients' satisfaction with scaling, and recommendation from others and Internet searching contribute to revisit. High school graduate or less is also one of the factors affecting the intention of recommendation, along with recommendation from others, Internet searching, scaling by a dental hygienist, and oral hygiene education before scaling. Summing up the results, patient's satisfaction and intention to recommend are high when dental hygienists provide oral hygiene instruction prior to scaling. This study suggests that dental hygienists help patients feel comfortable before treatment by building rapport with them. In addition, it is required that consistent efforts for quality improvement in scaling be sustained, that the patient's needs be identified to increase their satisfaction with scaling, and that studies to verify relevant factors be conducted.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.539-551
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in factors on unmet dental scaling rate before and after the national health insurance. Methods: This study used the $2^{nd}$ data from the Community Health Survey. The study participants numbered 209,341 in 2011 and 219,517 in 2013.The average age was $51{\pm}17$ in 2011 and $52{\pm}17$ in 2013. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi -squared test and logistic regression using SPSS 23.0. Results: The scaling experienced rate of Korean adults has fallen by 3.5% from 66% to 69.5%. Logistic regression analysis showed that 2.7 times more 'people who were educated at elementary school level or lower' did not use dental scaling compared to higher educated children. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries workers did not use scaling at 2.0 times. Local residents with an income of less than one million won did not use 1.7times scaling. Local residents of 'no private insurance' did not use scaling at 1.5 times. In the case of the predisposing factors, the 20s had less than 1.8 times scaling compared to 50s. In the case of needs factor, local residents who experienced 'bad oral health status' and 'dental calculus' were treated scaling 1.3 times less compared to people with good oral health status and normal periodontal symptoms. Conclusions: In Korea, local residents are less frequently treated scaling due to enabling factors such as accessibility. In addition, predisposing factors such as age and sex, and oral health status and periodontal symptoms were related to not using the dental scaling. Therefore, the universality of health care services should be considered so that people who need periodontal care can use scaling.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.147-153
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• 2019

Background: With increased interest in oral health, several efforts have been made to improve oral health conditions. To achieve this, needs for oral health must be precisely determined and accurately measured. Therefore, factors influencing both objective unmet dental needs, which were determined by experts, and perceived unmet dental needs, which were determined by patients, were examined in this study. Methods: Responses of 17,735 respondents aged greater than 19 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey collected using the fifth (2010~2012) rotation sample survey were analyzed. Based on the information collected from the survey and dental examination, we determined the associations between the independent (sex and socioeconomic level) and dependent variables using a chi-squared test. Moreover, ordinal logistic regression analyses on multiple categorical values were performed using perceived and objective dental needs as the dependent variables. Results: Generally, factors influencing both perceived and objective dental needs were similar. These included sex, household income, educational level, private insurance, and subjective oral health status. However, the high-income groups had lesser perceived and objective dental needs compared to the low-income groups. Furthermore, factors such as sex, educational level, and marital status had different influence on both needs. Conclusion: Generally, factors that affect perceived and objective dental needs were similar. To minimize unmet dental needs, factors influencing both perceived and objective dental needs should be examined for a broad dental insurance coverage, and efforts to prevent oral diseases are also required.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2013

Objectives : This study intended to figure out illegal treatment by unlicensed person in dental area and factors, which were considered as user's position on the basis of the local community investigation of health conditions in chungbuk provinces in 2008. Methods : This study used chi-square test and complex sample design of multi-variate logistic regression analysis to question 12,443 peoples who have experience on illegal dental treatment. Results : Multi-variate logistic regression analysis results showed that factors having related to illegal dental treatment are sex, age, education standards, subjective awareness of oral health condition, drinking experience of lifetime, unmet need of dental treatment, chewing difficulty, use of dentures, experience of scaling and the use of interdental care instrument. Conclusions : As a result of this study, in order to root out illegal dental treatment, we need to expand the breadth of health insurance coverage so that it can reduce the burden of dental expenses. Moreover, we need to set out health service of public oral health to inform the importances of maintaining good oral health and the problems of illegal dental treatment by unlicensed person.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.207-224
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• 2012

This study estimates the total health expenditure of ambulatory dental care and explores the factors related to disbursements. The study used two waves of a 2008 Korea Health Panel (KHP) survey, of which each wave is composed of 7866 households and 24,659 persons. The KHP includes missing expanses of reimbursement data of the National Health Insurance (NHI), such as out-of-pocket, drugs, and private health insurance. The study estimates total monthly ambulatory dental expenditure and the sub-special categories of dental care. For influential factors analyses, the study exploits log-linear model with age, gender, education, job, equivalence income, the status of chronic diseases, means-tested benefit recipients, private insurance, and the composite deprivation index as independent variables. The total monthly outpatient health spending is estimated to be 102,468 won per household, and for dental, each household spends 31,115 won per month. Older age, means-test recipients, non-regular workers are more likely to spend less money on dental care, whereas private insurers, high income, and those who live in less deprived areas are more likely to spend more money for dental services. From the study we found that the KHP data are more suitable to estimate the total amount of health care markets, especially when the NHI coverage is low, such as for dental care in Korea.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.311-321
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was conducted an in-depth analysis of the subjective oral status and oral care needs according and problems of the elderly. Methods: A phenomenological research method was from April 13 to 30, 2023, 15 elderly people aged 65 or older in Gwangju and Jeolla regions were surveyed. Results: He was experiencing oral changes such as difficulty chewing, dry mouth and indigestion, sensitive teeth, smell of fear and feeling sensitive when eating sweet or cold food. They were burdened by the financial difficulties of dental treatment costs, the inconvenience caused by frequent visits, and the pain experienced during treatment. Realized the need for necessity of oral care education, and their confidence was restored through dental treatment. It was necessary the image recovery of dentistry, and they wanted to maintain oral health through the expansion of treatment health insurance. Conclusions: Consequently, it is necessary to develop a practical oral health management program for the elderly based on social communication regarding of the elderly and to expand health insurance coverage.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.23-36
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• 2012

Objectives : The coverage of Korean National Health Insurance is limited to basic level. Korean government encourages private health insurance for covering medical securities. So, many studies examined the determinants of purchasing private health insurance. However, 11% of Korean population is older than 65 in 2011. Considering the elderly is important to establish a health policy. The aim of this study is to examine factors determining the purchase of private health insurance among middle-aged and elderly Korean adults. Methods : We used the second Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), selected 8,688 sample of the aged 47 or older for the analysis. KLoSA collected information on demographic characteristics, income, health- related factors. KLoSA data include in the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the determinants of purchasing private health insurance and the factors which include age, gender, education, residential district, marital status, smoking, drinking, physical exercise, economic activity status, national health insurance type, income, the number of chronic disease, and the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Results : People who were older, did not live in a city, had higher IADL, currently drunk alcohol, did exercise regularly and had chronic diseases more than three were inclined not to purchase private health insurance. Females, the married, well-educated, past & currently smokers, the employed, high income earners, national health insurers, metropolitan citizens and someone who got high MMSE were more likely to purchase private health insurance. The more people experienced outpatients, inpatients, dental clinics and Chinese medicine clinics, the more private health insurance was purchased. The elderly people over 75 had more private health insurance than the aged 65-74. The strongest factors for private health insurance is gender, and economic status such as income. Conclusion : In this study, we found healthy-high income people were more likely to purchase private health insurance. In contrast, unhealthy-low income and older people did not. The economic factors were strongly related with private health insurance in aged over 75. These mean inequality exists in the using private health insurance. Therefore, the government should consider vulnerable social group before expanding private health insurance.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to identify the awareness of oral health workforce and the attitude concerning the health insurance benefit on topical fluoride application. The subjects are 173 dentists and 288 dental hygienists. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 12.0 statistical program. The findings of the study were as follows: Agree's (including strongly agree) ratios regarding to the health insurance benefit of topical fluoride application was 92.5% for dentists and 90.8% for dental hygienists. Appropriate age of health insurance benefit about the topical fluoride application was elementary, middle and high school students (8~19 years). This response ratio was high 45.7% for dentists and 43.2% for dental hygienists. Appropriate copayment (mean value) of health insurance about topical fluoride application coverage showed that NaF, $SnF_2$ solution and acidulated phosphate fluoride gel were 25,782 Korean Won (KRW) for dentist and 14,282 KRW for dental hygienist. Fluoride varnish copayment was 31,705 KRW for dentist and 17,979 KRW for dental hygienist. Fluoride iontophoresis copayment was 40,156 KRW for dentist, and 21,210 KRW for dental hygienist. The frequency of health insurance benefits about topical fluoride application was high in 'unlimited (37.5%)' for the dentists and 'two times (31.3%)' for dental hygienists. In conclusion, topical fluoride application should be included as one of the health insurance benefit items for oral health.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.264-272
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• 2017

Purpose: This study evaluated trends in tooth extraction due to acute and chronic periodontal disease (PD) using data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort for 2002-2013. Methods: A random sample of 1,025,340 individuals was selected as a representative sample of the population, and a database (DB) of diagnostic and prescription codes was followed up for 12 years. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess the incidence of total extraction (TE), extraction due to periodontal disease (EPD), and immediate extraction due to periodontal disease (IEPD) according to sociodemographic factors (sex, age, household income, health status, and area of residence). Results: The incidence of tooth extraction was found to be increasing, and at a higher rate for TE in PD patients. In 2002, 50.6% of cases of TE were caused by PD, and this increased to 70.8% in 2013, while the number of cases of IEPD increased from 42.8% to 54.9% over the same period. The incidence rates of extraction due to acute and chronic PD increased monotonically. We found that the incidence rates of TE, EPD, and IEPD were all 2-fold higher among patients with high income levels and those who were not beneficiaries of health insurance. Conclusions: The rates of TE, EPD, and IEPD have been steadily increasing despite dental healthcare policies to expand public health insurance coverage, increasing the accessibility of dental clinics. Moreover, the effects of these policies were found to vary with both income and education levels. Consistent patient follow-up is required to observe changes in trends regarding tooth extraction according to changes in dental healthcare policies, and meticulous studies of such changes will ensure optimal policy reviews and revisions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1460-1467
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• 2004

Purpose. This study examined the predictive factors enabling access to children's oral health care at the level of financial barriers, beliefs, and the provider. Methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with 320 immigrant mothers of low-income families regarding their use of oral health services for children aged four to eight years old. Access to oral health care was measured with frequency of planned dental visits, continuity of care, and age at first visit to dentist. Results. The mother took her child to the dentist at a younger age if she received referrals to a dentist from pediatrician. Regular dental visits were significantly related to household income, provider availability on week-ends, and insurance coverage. The extended clinic hours in the evenings, and the belief in the importance of the child's regular dentist visits increased the likelihood of continuing care. The mothers perceiving a cost burden for the child's dental care were also less likely to return to the dentist. Conclusion. The available care delivery system, coordinated medical care, and health beliefs were among important predictors of the health service use. The study findings suggest need for culturally competent dental health interventions to enhance access to oral health care among particularly vulnerable populations such as low-income children in Korean communities.