Evaluation of holistic oral health promotion project for disable persons at the special education center in Sukhothai province ,2011

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the holistic oral health promotion project for disable persons at Sukhothai's special education center. This project was proceeded during October 2553 to September 2554 by a multidisciplinary team. They visited the mobile unit at the special education center, develop abilities of relevant persons network and follow-up the operation by training exchanging of knowledge. This project was evaluated from information collection before and after the operation by 1) Examination of oral health status for disable persons. 2) Interview disable persons and related people about dental health behavior and food consumption behavior that affects dental caries. 3) Service access of dental promotion, prevention and treatment for disable persons. Assessments of knowledge and assessments of satisfaction for their custodian at the special education center and  additional information collection when visiting disable persons who could not come to the special education center. The samples 102 persons voluntarily joined this project. 65.7 percent of them were 6-15 years old. The study results indicated that 1) The board of the center jointly made a plan of personal skills development for disable persons, financial support for hiring mentors of disable persons at the local administration and organized the place for brushing at the center. 2) The local administration provided mentors to take care of disable persons at their home and provided vehicles to deliver them to the hospital 3) Their parents and custodians had good attitudes of raising children to help themselves in their daily lives. They cooked with vegetable, provided fruit instead of snacks, trained children to brush their teeth and took them to receive dental services. 72.5 percent of them had knowledge level more than 80 percent of the total score about dental health care for disable persons. They were satisfied with the dental training, examination of oral health status, dental treatment and brushing skill development which there were 63.9 percent at the most satisfy level and 35.4 percent at very satisfy level. 4) Disable persons had good attitudes of dental health care. They brushed their teeth more correctly and the frequency of brushing was statistically significantly increased (p < 0.01). They statistically significantly changed their dental health behavior in the right way (p < 0.001). Drinking plain milk was increased from 43.1 to 71.6 percent, no drinking soft drink was increased from 15.7 to 30.4 percent and no eating snacks was increased from 5.9 to 32.4 percent. 49.0 percent of them received dental treatment by the appointment. In all age group for both male and female and people with physical disability group and intellectual or leaning disability group received more dental treatment, the average of dental filling was 1.05 ± 1.59 teeth per person and the average of dental missing was 0.47 ± 1.11 teeth per person which were statistically significantly increased (p < 0.05).