Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of the Elderly under Visiting Health Care

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the oral health status of elderly under visiting health care and their oral health-related quality of life. The subjects were 300 elderly under visiting health care program over 65 years old in Asan city and they were interviewed. The result showed that average Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) score was 37.36 and the lowest scored question was 'never satisfied with the oral condition'. In GOHAI related to oral health behaviors, unmet dental treatment experience was statistically significant (p＜0.001). In overall GOHAI, number of remaining teeth (p＜0.001) and the age had statistical significance and men had higher score in pain and discomfort (p＜0.05), under age of 74 limited function factors score was high (p＜0.01). The number of remaining teeth had statistical significances in most factors except pain and discomfort (p＜0.001). The factors affecting GOHAI were age (p＜0.05), number of remaining teeth (p＜0.001) and perceived health state (p＜0.001). In order to improve oral health-related quality of life of elderly receiving visiting oral health care services, it is necessary to increase denture support by securing budgets and developing oral health promotion programs at the local government level.

Relationship between oral health and social activity among community‐dwelling older adults in Korea: Focusing on the mediating effect of depressive symptoms

“…26 The reasons for the low GOHAI score in Korea were unmet needs for prostheses and dentures because of restrictions on the oral health budget, the burden of medical expenses due to lower levels of health insurance coverage, avoidance of oral treatment or examination due to medical expense burden, and lack of oral health knowledge. 27 Furthermore, the low quality of oral health education due to the inadequate number of public dentists was the reason for the low GOHAI score in Korea. 28 Therefore, to improve the oral health of the older adult population in Korea, the government needs to hire more public dentists, establish a community system linkage that can properly link people to dental hospitals in the community, secure national budgets for oral health and expand the levels of health insurance coverage for dental care.…”

“…The first finding of the present study was that the average oral health score among older adults in Korea using GOHAI was 37.15, which was comparatively a lower level compared with those in the same age group in other countries, such as Japan (52.85), 24 Thailand (49.94) 25 and Brazil (54.43) 26 . The reasons for the low GOHAI score in Korea were unmet needs for prostheses and dentures because of restrictions on the oral health budget, the burden of medical expenses due to lower levels of health insurance coverage, avoidance of oral treatment or examination due to medical expense burden, and lack of oral health knowledge 27 . Furthermore, the low quality of oral health education due to the inadequate number of public dentists was the reason for the low GOHAI score in Korea 28 .…”

Searching for Ways to Improve Visiting Oral Health Care Services in Korea through Comparison with Japanese System in Long-Term Care Insurance

“…Thus, the fact that dental visiting treatment in Korea is not activated is thought to be the cause of low application for oral health care services in long-term care insurance. Nevertheless, researchers are constantly making suggestions for visiting oral health care service activation to participate the oral health project in the community project 18,19) .…”