• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.696-704
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• 2015

The coverage of the National Health Insurance for the elderly is expanding to denture and implants. Although the National Long-Term Care Insurance was just being settled, Oral health service was not provided to the Elderly in Long-Term Care Facilities. The long-term care facilities had part-time facility doctors. However, there is no dentist in the long-term care facility because of lack of long-term care insurance-related legislations. The amendments of long-term care insurance-related legislations for the introduction of part-time facility dentists are needed because the elderly in long-term care facility are vulnerable to oral health. For the substantial management of the National Long-Term Care Insurance, the development of oral health service model for the elderly and education materials for the dental team will be needed. Also, adequate dental service fee of the National longterm care insurance will be needed.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.432-441
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of professional oral healthcare program in eldery residents long-term care facilities. Ninety-four elderly residents from 5 different facilities in Asan participated in this study. The subjects were divided into 3 groups, with 32 in experimental group I, 30 in experimental group II, and 32 in the control group. Subjects in experimental group I were treated by a dental hygienist with professional oral healthcare and received daily oral care from caregivers who had completed elderly oral healthcare course. Subjects in experimental group II received daily oral care from caregivers who had completed elderly oral healthcare course. Control group received daily oral care from caregivers. These 3 groups were tested for dental plaque, halitosis, tongue coating, and salivary flow at baseline, and after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. There were significant differences in the dental plaque index between the groups, mediate times, and mediate methods, in halitosis between the mediate methods, and in tongue coating between the mediate times, as well as the mediate methods. Finally, salivary flow was significantly different with regard to mediate methods between experimental group II and the control group. Therefore, to improve the oral health condition of elderly residents, involvement of a part-time dentist and scheduled professional oral healthcare are necessary. Furthermore, elderly oral healthcare education for nursing staff, including managers, should be provided.