The Relationship between the Oral Health and the Nutritional Status at Elderly People through Visiting Dental Care Services at Chilgok Public Health Center

Abstract

Objective: Home visiting health program is one of the important projects for senile groups with disabled at the community. Methods: Fifty of the subjects for aged people for the home visiting oral health program performing from Chilgok PublicHealth Center, were selected for evaluation of the program. Interview method was applied to investigate such items as lifepattern, diet, number of the residual teeth, systemic disease, oral status, smoking, and drinking habits and Peason's correlationco-efficient was estimated. Results: The obtained results were as followings. There were no relationships between the oral health status and diet patternsfor elderly people, except the decreasing tendency was revealed according to age increasement. There were relationshipsbetween the frequency of the instating of fat, milk product or instant foods, each others and a little relationship between theintake of the sweet diet, vegetable and fruit water supply, chewing gum, instant food, carbohydrate and protein, each others. The more frequent diet was revealed in aged people who take a regular meals. There was a trend that take a meal accompanywith others for male aged person, otherwise without other family for female. It revealed more intake of the milk product,fat diet for senile with denture wear, than non-wearer. It revealed that better chewing the gum with more than 18 naturalteeth, than in less teeth. Conclusion: It was recommended to educated for the diet problem at the visiting oral health program for senile, in other tointake the proper nutrient for aged people.