Investigation of the Relationship between the Dentist/resident Ratio and their Dental Visit Behaviors--- A Case Study in Taichung Count

• Main Authors: li - mei zheng, 鄭麗美
• Other Authors: yi-Hsin Yang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/14472795241689449364

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 口腔衛生科學研究所碩士在職專班 === 91 === Abstract The purposes of the study were to explore dentist/resident ratio as well as to understand the differences of dental visiting behaviors and the needs of oral health education among adults over 18 years old in Taichung County. The investigation was carried out in Taichung in 2001, when a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling was employed along with a structured questionnaire completed by 400 subjects. The questionnaire contained personal viewpoint toward the need of strengthening oral health knowledge, the best way to obtain the necessary information, the attitude toward regular dental visits and subjects’ current dental visit behavior. In total, 377 questionnaires were collected. Data analyses were performed on Statistical Analysis System (SAS, JMP V4.2) package. The results of the study were described as follows: the average resident/dentist ratio in Taichung County was 10,000 to 3.99, with 10,000 to 4.97 in Fengyuan, 10,000 to 3.28 in Wur, 10,000 to 3.16 in Daya and 10,000 to 0.47 in Da-An. The average percentage of regular dental visit was 24.95% among the 377 Taichung County residents (approximately 22.83% of men and 27.07% of women). The highest rate of regular dental visit (39.11%) appeared in Daya and the lowest (15.14%) in Fengyuan, both of which indicated that 75% of the Taichung County residents did not have the habit to visit dentists regularly. Among the people who paid regular dental visits, about 52.13% went once every six months, and nearly 47.87% went once a year. The frequencies of participants’ dental visiting during the past year were as follows: 46.54% for none, 20.75% for once, 15.43% for twice, and 17.29% for three times or more. A small percentage (12.95%) of the subjects from Da-An visited the dentists three times or more. The statistics aforementioned revealed that the residents’ frequency of annual dental visit was not high; we suggested that this was probably because the residents paid dental visits only when their tooth ached. The statistics of dental visit timing indicated that those who paid dental visits when they had toothache were the majority (72.65% of the male and 66.74% of the female). On average, 68.09% of the subjects reported that they did not visit dentists because “the teeth were fine and never ached”--- the highest percentage (88.79%) appeared in Da-An. The following reasons, we inferred, probably could explain the residents’ low dental visiting frequency and their lack of the habit of visiting dentists regularly: going to the dentists only when their tooth ached, deeming their teeth to be good, and lacking the concept of oral health care. In terms of the percentage of having the habit of paying dental visit regularly, the group with junior college education background or above (48.87%) was higher than the group with elementary school education background (3.11%) and the group aged 18-34 was higher than the group aged 65 or over (7.80%)--- which showed that the younger and the higher educated the subjects were, the greater the emphasis they laid on regular dental examination. With regard to oral health knowledge, about 48.25% of the 377 subjects hoped to get the related knowledge from the mass media, 54.47% hoped to have the information mailed to their house, 73.15% hoped to obtain information on dental health care, 68.48% hoped to have information on prevention of periodontal disease, and 64.20% hoped to obtain the oral health knowledge concerning oral cancer self-examination; this finding suggested that the habit of regular dental visit and oral health education should be promoted among the residents. The percentage of regular dental visits in Fenyuan (15.14%), where the resident/ dentist ratio was the highest (10,000 to 4.97), was far lower than that in Da-An, where the resident/dentist ratio was the lowest (10,000 to 0.47). As for the timing of dental visit, the percentage of paying regular dental visits and of having frequent dental treatment in Da-An were much higher than those in Fengyuan, though the resident/ dentist ratio in Fengyuan was relatively higher; the result revealed that the differences of area and resident/dentist ratio did not seem to influence the residents’ dental visit behavior. Moreover, high resident/dentist ratio did not necessarily mean high percentage of regular dental visit or good oral health behaviors. Obviously, the subjects from areas with low resident/dentist ratio could still leave their habit of dental visit unaffected and had good dental visiting behaviors. Rather, the residents’ need of education of oral health care and psychological fortification is stronger than the need of dental treatment.