Survey and study on the value and usefulness of various dental health examinations in regional dental insurance activities.

1991 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 02670931
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: 小児・社会系歯学
• Research Institution: The Nippon Dental University
• Principal Investigator: SUETAKA Takehiko The Nippon Dental University of Dentistry at Niigata, Professor, 新潟歯学部, 教授 (40112966)
• Project Period (FY): 1990 – 1991
• Keywords: Community dental health / Dental health examination / Dental behavier / Dental health guidance / Dental health assessment

Research Abstract

In Japan, dental health examinations are conducted as part of a national health program, targeting mostly 18-month-olds, 3-year-olds, and Screening school children and high school students. Our research studied how dental health examinations were conducted, and the changes if any, on the dental behavior of participants after receivings dental health examinations. Based on the two results, we investigated the problems related to dental health examinations. The findings are as follows :
1. Dental health examinations targeting 18-month-olds, 3-year-olds, and Screening school children and high school students are carried out in all areas throughout Japan, with 80 to 98 percent of the subjects receivings health exams. However, the implementation rate of dental health examinations for expectant mothers and adults was less than 25 percent, and consequently, the rate of those receiving diagnosis was extremely low.
2. Improvement in dental behavior was seen in more than 80 percent of infants who received dental health examinations. However, only 50 percent of less of Screening school children and high school students and adults improved their dental behavior after receiving examinations.
3. To enhance the dental health of the subjects, future dental health examinations will incorporate careful individual health guidances in addition to check-ups, and introduce a method to assess the effect of the guidence given during previous examinations.
4. Dentalhealth examinations for expectant mothers and adults are conducted through a variety of methods, depending on the area. From now on, however, the objective diagnostic criteria, and assessment method will be clearly defined.
5. We suggest that the administration create a dental health booklet, showings at a glance the results and guidance of each dental health examination. This is so that the subjects can maintain and manage dental health throughout their lives.