A Study on Oral Care Behaviors and Oral Health Services Utilization of Thai People.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess Thai people's oral care behaviors, perception of the oral health disordered and problems, oral health care services utilization and their satisfactions. Data was collected from in-depth interview of mothers having children aged 0-12 years old, people aged 20-59 years old who ever used and never used the dental services from community hospitals or health centers and focus group discussion with mothers who had children aged 0-5 years old. Altogether there were 224 interviewed people from 12 villages in 4 districts of 4 provinces.

Results revealed that majority of the interviewees were similar in knowledge, understanding and oral care behaviors. Nearly all of them stated that they brushed their teeth in the morning regularly where as they occasionally brushed in the evening or at bed time. Commercial people and factory workers brushed their teeth more regularly than farmer.

Children aged 0-5 years old mostly were not received regular teeth cleanning. Moreover their guardians started the tooth brushing from the age of one and a half year because health personnel provided toothbrushes for their children at that age. In contrast children started to take sweet snacks when they started to have supplementary meal. Most of young children who had tooth decayed would not be sent for treatment until they reached the school age where teachers would send them for treatments. The interviewees said that children aged 6-12 years old brushed their teeth at school regularly but they were not sure at home. Mostly parents and guardians understood that teachers were responsible in bringing children to get dental treatment.

Nearly all interviewees perceived that they had dental health problems only when they had toothache. They took care of themselves by taking pain killer medicine or filled it into the decayed teeth. They would seek for dental treatment in case that they could not stand the pain. The places that they would go for oral health services were either health centers, community hospitals or private clinics depended on their insurance benefits, economic status and past experience of the interviewees. However, they mainly got the services from health centers and community hospitals. Most of them satisfied with the services provided because of service modernization, cleanliness, and near home but did not satisfy with the long waiting time.