2019 Volume 40 Issue 2 Pages 209-214
In Okinawa Prefecture, a dental association has been providing oral treatment for handicapped people at the Oral Hygiene Center （present Oral Medical Treatment Center） since 1975, which includes an oral treatment project for physically and mentally handicapped children （people） under general anesthesia, as well as medical workshops for regional cooperative dentists on dental treatment for handicapped people.
The Center was relocated in 2014 and the general anesthesia project was completed in 2016. After the relocation, the number of full-time dentists decreased to three, whereas the number of patients doubled. As a result, there have been changes in the types of problems, response methods, residential areas, etc., and various responses are required. Moreover, dental care for handicapped patients in rural areas such as remote islands is not fully functioning yet and still requires some help from the Center, although it is shifting to a self-complete treatment system within the area.
In future, it is necessary to establish a follow-up support system with regional cooperative dentists and also to cooperate with oral and maxillofacial surgery departments in other medical institutions throughout the prefecture through workshops and practical training.
