Ko Kyung-A, Lee Bo-A, Kim Young-Taek, Lee Jung-Seok
Department of Periodontology, Research Institute of Periodontal Regeneration, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.
Innovation Research and Support Center for Dental Science, Yonsei University Dental Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Gerodontology. 2025 Jun;42(2):216-224. doi: 10.1111/ger.12781. Epub 2024 Jul 30.
To determine the dental care pattern and survival rates of participants who received long-term care (LTC) and a matched control cohort in South Korea.
Global ageing trends and the development of superaged societies pose healthcare challenges. South Korea's LTC system aids those with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Despite the link between oral health and systemic diseases, providing dental care in LTC facilities often reflects social neglect.
We identified 1 459 163 individuals eligible for LTC insurance in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database from July 2008 to 2015 (LTC cohort) and 1 459 544 individuals matched through propensity-score matching (matched cohort). The LTC recipients were further categorised into subgroups based on their care type (institutional, home or mixed care). Population of utilising dental services and the average number of dental visits were counted in each cohort, and the survival rate of the LTC cohort was determined according to dental utilisation.
Population of utilising dental services increased steadily in all cohorts except for institutional care, with the highest utilisation (around 30%) observed in the matched cohort. Lower independence in LTC cohorts was associated with lower dental utilisation: 18-27% for home care, 12-18% for mixed care, and 10% for institutional care. The survival rates in the LTC cohort were significantly lower than in the matched cohort (P < .0001), with 28.1% survival in LTC vs 59.3% in the matched cohort.
Long-term care recipients experience social neglect for oral care, while higher survival rates were observed in those utilised dental services.
确定韩国接受长期护理（LTC）的参与者以及匹配的对照队列的牙齿护理模式和生存率。
全球老龄化趋势和超老龄化社会的发展带来了医疗保健挑战。韩国的长期护理系统帮助患有慢性疾病和残疾的人。尽管口腔健康与全身疾病之间存在联系，但在长期护理机构中提供牙齿护理往往反映出社会的忽视。
我们在韩国国民健康保险服务数据库中确定了2008年7月至2015年符合长期护理保险条件的1459163人（长期护理队列）以及通过倾向得分匹配的1459544人（匹配队列）。长期护理接受者根据其护理类型（机构护理、居家护理或混合护理）进一步分为亚组。统计每个队列中使用牙科服务的人数和平均牙科就诊次数，并根据牙科服务利用情况确定长期护理队列的生存率。
除机构护理外，所有队列中使用牙科服务的人数均稳步增加，在匹配队列中观察到最高利用率（约30%）。长期护理队列中较低的独立性与较低的牙科服务利用率相关：居家护理为18 - 27%，混合护理为12 - 18%，机构护理为10%。长期护理队列的生存率显著低于匹配队列（P <.0001），长期护理队列的生存率为28.1%，而匹配队列的生存率为59.3%。
长期护理接受者在口腔护理方面受到社会忽视，而使用牙科服务的人生存率更高。
