2021 Volume 42 Issue 1 Pages 91-98
This study examined the situation and issues of home visit dental treatment for children in Japan. We conducted a questionnaire survey on the situation of home visit dental treatment for children. The subjects were 206 dentists who were members of The Society of Home Dentistry for Children；responses were obtained from 130 dentists.
The number of dentists conducting home dental care for children was 51. The highest percentage of patients’ age was 0-4 years (46.5％). The percentage of medically dependent children with severe motor and intellectual disability was 39.1％. Requests for home dental care were received mainly from the families of patients (54.9％); requests from other occupations accounted for 11.8-27.5％. Many of the respondents (70.6％) answered that they felt “cooperation with other occupations” was an issue of home visit dental treatment for children.
The number of dentists considering conducting home dental care for children was 42. The main reason they did not do so was “no request” (85.7％).
The number of dentists not conducting home dental care but providing outpatient care for the disabled was 26. The percentage of respondents cooperating with home dental care for children was 30.8％, while 72.2％ of the respondents not cooperating with home dental care for children answered that they could cooperate in the future.
In order to consider concrete plans to expand home visit dental treatment, it is necessary to conduct further investigation and research.
