Research on the Degree of Skill in Oral Health Care in the Later Childhood and the Early Adolescence

The purposes of this research are to grasp the actual conditions of oral health care in the area and to find a goal for the oral hygienic activities which meet the actual conditions of the area. Therefore, we needed to investigate the population as widely as possible from the infants to the aged people. We adopted O'leary's Plaque Control Record (OPCR) as the index for this investigation. The reason is that the Welfare Ministry specified OPCR as the plaque disclosing method for the Health-care Insurance Plan. However, OPCR presents a problem in enlightening activities of the oral hygiene of the area. Contrary to the public's understanding, the higher the score is, the worse the oral condition is. The degree of Skill in Oral Health Care (SOHC) was defined anew to overcome the shortcomings of OPCR. The formula is SOHC={log (100/OPCR)} 100. The subjects examined numbered 509 ranging from 6 to 20 years old (263 boys and 246 girls). These subjects were classified into 10 groups, by age and sex, and examined. The result is shown in the following. 1. In the average number of deciduous teeth present per person, differences were recognized in the groups of 9-11 years old, and values of boys were higher than those of girls (p<0.01). 2. In the average number of permanent teeth present per person, differences were recognized in the groups of 9-11 years old, and values of girls were higher than those of boys (p<0.01). 3. Difference were recognized only between the groups of 18-20 years old as a result of comparing values of OPCR between the boys and girls of the group of the same age (p<0.01). 4. In boys, the group of 6-8 years old was the highest in OPCR value as compared with the 4 other groups (p<0.01). 5. In girls, the group of 6-8 years old was the highest in OPCR value as compared with the 4 other groups (p<0.01, p<0.05) and the group of 18-20 years old was the lowest (p<0.01). 6. The graph of SOHC was easier to explain in comparison with that of OPCR.