Fact-finding survey among general dental practitioners in A City on dental treatment of patients with disabilities

Abstract

In April 2014, our hospital established a new independent "Department of Dentistry for Disability and Oral Health". We conducted an anonymous questionnaire survey of dental treatments administered to patients with disabilities in one city, a relatively large number of whom had been referred to our hospital, targeting the general dental practitioners registered in the prefectural dental association of that city. We obtained 574 responses from 2046 respondents, representing a recovery rate of 28.1%. The mean age was 55 years, and the mean time in practice was 22 years. About half of the respondents worked in dental clinics in existing buildings with other tenants making it difficult to construct a new clinic with universal design and accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
    Although about 70% of the dental clinics provided treatment to patients with various degrees of disability, 80% of treated less than 10 patients with disabilities per year. A high percentage of consultations were conducted by attending physicians and most dental treatments administered were based on systemic management. For dysphagia, 90% of the respondents reported that oral function training was required to improve quality of life, but more than 30% had difficulty implementing oral functional training.
    There is a need for dental treatment not only for occlusal functional recovery but also for oral functional recovery, including swallowing training. In addition, our hospital, which is a tertiary care institution, is expected to accept patients with severe disabilities and establish a human resource development department that can respond well to patients with disabilities. Also, attention should be given to dental treatment for patients with disabilities, the acceptance of such patients, and training of the staff in caring for them. Efforts should be made to grasp the needs of the community, to perform proactive medical care, and to provide the most up-to-date information for general dental practitioners, patients, and welfare facilities, as well as to strive to educate medical professionals.