Effectiveness of oral health offices in special schools: A study of two special schools in Jeonju

Kim, Hayoung; Kim, Sohee; Kim, Heemin; Lee, Daewoo; Kim, Jaegon; Yang, Yeonmi

doi:2025.63.4.129

J Korean Dent Assoc > Volume 63(4); 2025 > Article

Original Article

Journal of Korean Dental Association 2025;63(4):129-136.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22974/jkda.2025.63.4.002 Published online April 30, 2025.

특수학교 구강보건실의 효과: 전주시의 두 특수학교에 대한 비교

Effectiveness of oral health offices in special schools: A study of two special schools in Jeonju

Hayoung Kim^1,2,3

, Sohee Kim⁴

, Heemin Kim^1,2,3

, Daewoo Lee^1,2,3

, Jaegon Kim^1,2,3

, Yeonmi Yang^1,2,3

¹Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Institute of Oral Bioscience, School of Dentistry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea
²Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea
³Biomedical Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
⁴Pyeong Hwa Health Life Support Center, Jeonju, Korea

Correspondence: Yeonmi Yang, Tel: +82-63-250-2212,
Email: pedo1997@jbnu.ac.kr

Received: 21 January 2025 • Revised: 23 February 2025 • Accepted: 24 February 2025

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to analyze the differences in oral health office systems related to the dental examination results of two institutions in Jeonju, Korea
Materials and Methods
This study analyzed dental examination data from Dongamchadol school and Eunhwa school, provided by the Jeonju Public Health Center. The variables included the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index, decayed, missing, and filled (DMF) rate, decayed teeth (DT) rate, missing teeth (MT) rate, and filled teeth (FT) rate. Longitudinal changes and a cross-sectional analysis were performed to compare dental health patterns between Dongamchadol and Eunhwa school.
Results
The DT, MT, and FT rates at Dongamchadol school remained relatively stable from middle 2019 to middle 2023, with a consistently low DMFT index and DMF rate over time. In contrast, Eunhwa school showed fluctuations in all rates with reductions in the DMFT index and DMF rate. When comparing the two schools, the DMFT index was consistently higher at Eunhwa school, while DMF rate experienced a decline, ultimately dropping below that of Dongamchadol school by middle 2023.
Conclusion
Continuous management through consistent oral health care policies seems essential for effective oral health management in special schools.

Key Words: Oral Health, Children with Disabilities, Dental Caries