Kadaluru Umashankar Gangadhariah, Kempraj Vanishree Mysore, Muddaiah Pramila
Department of Public Health Dentistry, MR Ambedkar Dental College, Bangalore, India.
Indian J Dent Res. 2012 Nov-Dec;23(6):841-2. doi: 10.4103/0970-9290.111290.
Good oral health is a mirror of overall health and well-being. Oral health is determined by diet, oral hygiene practices, and the pattern of dental visits. Poor oral health has significant social and economic consequences. Outreach programs conducted by dental schools offer an opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment, dental health education, and institution of preventive measures.
To assess the utilization of oral healthcare services among adults attending outreach programs.
This study included 246 adults aged 18-55 years attending community outreach programs in and around Bangalore. Using a questionnaire we collected data on dental visits, perceived oral health status, reasons for seeking care, and barriers in seeking care. Statistical significance was assessed using the Chi-square test.
In this sample, 28% had visited the dentist in the last 12 months. Males visited dentist more frequently than females. The main reason for a dental visit was for tooth extraction (11%), followed by restorative and endodontic treatment 6%. The main barriers to utilization of dental services were high cost (22%), inability to take time off from child care duties (19.5%), and fear of the dentist or dental tools (8.5%).
The utilization of dental services in this population was poor. The majority of the dental visits were for treatment of acute symptoms rather than for preventive care. High cost was the main barrier to the utilization of dental services. Policies and programs should focus on these factors to decrease the burden of oral diseases and to improve quality of life among the socioeconomically disadvantaged.
良好的口腔健康是整体健康和幸福的反映。口腔健康取决于饮食、口腔卫生习惯以及看牙模式。口腔健康不佳会产生重大的社会和经济后果。牙科学院开展的外展项目为早期诊断和治疗、口腔健康教育以及预防措施的实施提供了机会。
评估参加外展项目的成年人对口腔医疗服务的利用情况。
本研究纳入了246名年龄在18至55岁之间、参加班加罗尔及其周边社区外展项目的成年人。我们通过问卷调查收集了有关看牙情况、自我感知的口腔健康状况、就医原因以及就医障碍的数据。使用卡方检验评估统计学显著性。
在这个样本中，28%的人在过去12个月内看过牙医。男性看牙医的频率高于女性。看牙的主要原因是拔牙（11%），其次是修复和根管治疗（6%）。利用牙科服务的主要障碍是费用高（22%）、无法从照顾孩子的职责中抽出时间（19.5%）以及害怕牙医或牙科工具（8.5%）。
该人群对牙科服务的利用率较低。大多数看牙是为了治疗急性症状而非预防性护理。高费用是利用牙科服务的主要障碍。政策和项目应关注这些因素，以减轻口腔疾病负担并提高社会经济弱势群体的生活质量。
