2018 Volume 39 Issue 2 Pages 119-125
In this study, we evaluated the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on regular dental check-ups among disabled individuals. The subjects consisted of 841 disabled persons who were undergoing regular dental check-ups at Tohoku University Hospital before the disaster. The age, type of disorder, place of residence, and the dates of visiting the hospital before and after the disaster were investigated based on their medical records. We compared the re-visit rates at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after the disaster for each survey item.
Sixty-eight percent of the subjects came back for dental check-ups within 3 months after the disaster, and 83.6％ came back within 6 months. The re-visit rate recovered up to near the usual level 12 months after the disaster. About 80％ of the subjects continued undergoing regular dental check-ups at the same rate as before the disaster. Subjects who lived in the area affected by the tsunami and/or the evacuation zone of the nuclear plant accident（n＝107）had a significantly lower re-visit rate than those who lived in other areas（n＝734）throughout the study period. Subjects who needed other medical treatment had a significantly higher re-visit rate until 6 months after the disaster. There was no significant difference in re-visit rate within 12 months after the disaster among the age groups or the types of disorder.
