학교구강보건실 담당자의 업무 실태 및 양치시설에 대한 의견 조사

Abstract

Objectives : This study aims to analyze the tasks, recognition and obstacles in operation of school dental clinics and to examine opinions on installation, operation and prerequisites for toothbrushing facilities. Methods : It conducted a survey t o the persons in charge at 3 78 s chool dental clinics in Korea and total 127 sheets, excluding incompletely answered data, were used for analysis by using SPSS 18.0. Results : Two regular dental hygienists visit school dental clinics 2-3 times per week and work 4-6 hours per week on average. Their tasks include oral health education, toothbrushing instruction, oral examination, sending school newsletters, and dental sealants. The obstacles of operation include excessive workload other than the work for the school dental clinic, lack of dentists, and lack of cooperation of principals and teachers in school. The persons in charge think that the chief task of the school dental clinic is the continuous oral health management, and it effectively affects students’ oral health improvement. Most of them were for the installation of toothbrushing facilities. They said that it will be effective in students having an adequate toothbrushing habit and their toothbrushing rate increasing higher. They thought that if the school dental clinic is changed to toothbrushing facilities, it will improve students’ oral health management. The prerequisites for toothbrushing facilities are the support of manpower in charge, principal’s support, and development of operational programs. Conclusions : The most effective function of school dental clinics is constant oral health management. However, when public health doctors are reduced and dental sealants get included in health insurance, the budget of local government will decrease and then it will eventually reduce the work of school dental clinics. Therefore, it is needed to enhance support for school dental clinics or install a toothbrushing facilities rather than a school dental clinic.