2021 Volume 42 Issue 3 Pages 300-308
We conducted a questionnaire survey among local member organizations in ordinance-designated cities of four organizations supporting people with disabilities throughout Japan, with the aim of understanding their opinions on dental health care in the event of major disasters. A total of 123 organizations responded (response rate, 62.8%).
Only 11.4% of the organizations “have a disaster preparedness manual,” and only 8.1% “have an individual evacuation plan for their members.” Although 52.8% of the organizations “have connections with local dental institutions,” only 19.5% “have discussions with dental institutions about dental health care during disasters.” Furthermore, 80.5% of the respondents answered that they “have problems with dental checkups even during normal times.” When asked about their concerns about their teeth and mouths in dental health care during disasters, 82.8% of the organizations responded that they “are worried about whether they would be able to provide oral care in a changing environment.” The most common answer for necessary information was “places that provide dental first aid” at 88.6%, and the most common answer for necessary support was “oral care in evacuation centers” at 83.6%. There were differences in the concerns and necessary dental support during disasters depending on the characteristics of the disability.
These results indicate that the disaster preparedness of organizations for people with disabilities is still inadequate. Especially in the area of dentistry, it became clear that there are many concerns during disasters and that support needs to be tailored to the characteristics of the disability, but there is a lack of information sharing with dental care providers. As a background, it was suggested that the local dental care system for people with disabilities was not fully functioning, with a low level of awareness that responding to disasters is an extension of responding in normal times.
