Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to obtain the information for improvement of program on school dental inspections. Also, the purpose of this study was to survey the opinion of students’ parents on the recently revised school health act related to an dental inspections. Methods: We performed a survey targeting 1,578 parents of students in four elementary schools located in Daejon, Korea. The survey comprises 30 items including the sociodemographic factor of the students’parents, oral health behavior, awareness on the execution of school dental inspections, credibility and satisfaction degree of school dental inspections, etc. All collected data have been analyzed using the cross-tabulation analysis and the regression analysis. Results: The recognition rate of performing dental inspections of the parents of student was 92.3%, and 49.0% respondents answered that they visited dental clinics as a post-administrative measures after dental inspections. There was a difference in the recognition rate of performing dental inspections according to sex, age, type of parents of students, education level, household income level, interest in oral health, recognition of importance on oral health, experience of children’s dental utilization, and subjective oral health knowledge level. Over 80% parents of students agreed on the initial discovery function of oral diseases, introductory function of follow-up treatments, function of enhancing school’s and teacher’s interest in oral health as well as the elevation of oral health. Thus, it was proven that the recognition of the parents of students on school dental inspections was highly positive. As for three years of an interval of school dental inspections established by the revised school health act, 65.2% respondents were against it, and 26.7% respondents were strongly against it, therefore, it was proven that most parents of students have very negative view toward it. In addition, 58.2% respondents agreed on the issue of changing an examination method to in-hospital examination. Conclusions: The present study suggests that school health law should be revised reflecting parents of students’opinion.