The Oral Health of Users of Facilities for People with Special Needs in Niigata Prefecture and Effectiveness of Dental Professional Assignment

Abstract

  Dental health care is very important for the general health of people with special needs, but its efforts vary by institution. This study aimed to clarify the actual situation of dental health care and related issues by investigating the dental health initiatives and status of dental examinations among users of facilities for people with special needs in Niigata Prefecture, and evaluate the effectiveness of the assignment of dental professionals. A questionnaire survey was sent to 1,021 facilities for people with special needs in Niigata Prefecture, and responses were received from 801. Among these, 5.1% had a dental professional (dentists and/or dental hygienists). We evaluated the status of dental health management, dental care, and dietary assistance and eating function maintenance in each institution. Based on the results of logistic regression analysis, facilities with dental professionals provided significantly more opportunities to receive a dental examination (odds ratio [OR]=7.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.66-18.55) and dental health guidance (OR=4.34, 95%CI: 1.98-9.51), made significantly greater efforts to prevent dental diseases (OR=3.97, 95%CI: 1.50-10.44), engaged in significantly more daily cooperation (OR=5.02, 95%CI: 2.29-10.99) and consultation with dental professionals (OR=6.53, 95%CI: 2.46-17.35), and showed a significantly higher rate of meeting patients’ needs (OR=3.37, 95%CI: 1.58-7.15). These findings suggest that the placement of dental professionals in facilities for people with special needs is correlated with better dental health.