Ekelund R
Department of Cariology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1989 Jun;17(3):158-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1989.tb00013.x.
As oral health status depends greatly on the dental care arrangements available, the aim of this study was to investigate the dental services provided for elderly people living in private old people's homes in Finland. The study involved all 94 old people's homes that offered private care in 1987. The directors of the old people's homes were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The response rate was 100%. The study showed that the dental care arrangements were inadequate: regular oral examinations and comprehensive dental treatment were infrequent. In 96% of the homes the need for treatment normally came to light only when the residents themselves complained about a dental problem. In 60% of the homes the residents had to pay the full cost of their dental treatment. These must be considered the two greatest weaknesses in the dental service for the elderly in the old people's homes studied. The ignorance among the directors of the importance of oral health was alarming: only one fifth considered dental care of the elderly more important than services such as hairdressing. It is obvious that uniform regulations are needed for the whole country concerning dental services for the elderly in institutions.
由于口腔健康状况在很大程度上取决于现有的牙科护理安排，本研究的目的是调查芬兰私立养老院中老年人所接受的牙科服务。该研究涵盖了1987年提供私人护理的所有94家养老院。研究要求养老院院长填写一份调查问卷，回复率为100%。研究表明，牙科护理安排不足：定期口腔检查和全面牙科治疗很少见。在96%的养老院中，通常只有当居民自己抱怨牙齿问题时，才会发现治疗需求。在60%的养老院中，居民必须自行承担全部牙科治疗费用。在所研究的养老院中，这两点必须被视为老年人口腔服务的两个最大弱点。养老院院长对口腔健康重要性的忽视令人担忧：只有五分之一的人认为老年人的牙科护理比诸如美发等服务更重要。显然，全国需要针对机构中老年人的牙科服务制定统一规定。
