Abstract
Purpose: This study was conducted to prepare the fundamental data on oral hygiene of the elderly and to assess the behavior of oral hygiene, subjective oral health, oral health problem among the elderly, and to contribute to successful enhancement of life in their declining years. Methods: The author surveyed the behavior of oral hygiene, subjective oral health, oral health problem to 192 elderly at a health center of Busan using structured self- administered questionnaire from Nov. 2nd 2009 to Feb. 10th 2010. Collected data were analysed by SPSS WIN 18.0 statistical program for frequency, percentage production, ${\chi}^2$ (Chi-square) verification, t-test, One-way ANOVA, Logistic Regression. Results: The distribution of total subjects by oral health behaviors were 56.8% for "have ever trained how to tooth brushing", 76.6% for "correctly performed tooth brushing by himself ", 71.8% for "tooth brushing a day is two times and less", 87.5% for "it doesn't tooth brushing in meals and after" and 53.6% for "it doesn't use the facility for oral health", respectively. The distribution of total subjects by the state of perceived oral health were 51.0% for "feel the oral discomfort", 51.6% for "feel the comfortable chewing on starchy food", respectively. The mean point of perceived oral health by general characteristics of total subjects were statistically significant difference in sex, type of medical insurance, smoke, exercise, and chronic disease. The mean point of perceived oral health by oral health behaviors of total subjects were statistically significant difference in educational experience on tooth brushing, recognition for tooth brushing by himself, tooth brushing a day, and tongue cleaning. The risk factors of perceived oral health were type of medical insurance and chronic disease in general characteristics, tooth brushing in meals and after and tooth brushing a day, and tongue cleaning in oral health behaviors. Conclusion: The author recommend to the prevention of chronic disease, carry out the tooth brushing in meals and after, three times and over tooth brushing a day and tongue cleaning for oral health. and the author consider that it need to prepare the active countermeasure to oral health such as reeducation for oral health and supply to the tongue cleaner.