A Comparative Study of Oral Health Status between International and Japanese University Student Patients in Japan

Abstract

Background: The number of international students enrolled in universities in Japan is increasing. To provide better oral care services for international students, we have to understand their oral environment and dental health behaviors. However, few studies have investigated the oral health status of international university students. The object of the present study was to clarify the current oral status of international university students. Methods: The subjects were students who visited the dental department at the University of Tokyo’s Health Services Center between April 2012 and March 2013. Our medical records were reviewed with regard to the following items: attributes (nationality, gender, and age); chief complaint (reason for visit); history of dental treatment; mean number of decayed (D), missing (M) or filled (F) teeth as a single (DMFT) index; degree of calculus deposition; gingival condition; and oral hygiene status. Results: The records of 554 university students (138 international and 416 non-international students) were analyzed; 88.4% of the 138 international students were from Asian countries (n = 122), of which 47.1% were from China and 10.9% from Korea, followed by North America (5.8%), Europe (4.3%), and Africa (1.5%). Although no significant differences were found regarding the history of dental treatment between international and non-international students (49.3% and 48.8%, respectively), international students had a significantly higher dental caries morbidity rate (60.1%) than non-international students (49.0%). The international students showed a significantly higher DMFT value compared with the non-international students: 5.0 and 4.0 per individual, respectively. Severe calculus deposition was observed in international students compared with non-international students (51.9% and 31.7%, respectively). Conclusions: The international university students had poorer oral health status than the non-international students, even though the result might include many uncertainties and possible biases.

Barriers to the utilization of dental services among international students of Korean universities

“…The present study reported that 69.5% of study participants have not visited a dental clinic during their stay in Korea, and this indicates low utilization of dental services among foreign students in Korea, with was found to be similar to the existing studies [7][8][9] .…”

“…A comparative study of international and Japanese college students conducted in Japan showed that foreigners' oral health conditions were worse than those of Japanese and it was linked with the lower use of dental service 7) . In research by Shim et al 8) 65.3% of Chinese students residing in Korea had not visited the dentist during their stay in Korea, and Language barriers, economic burdens, and lack of information were found to be associated with low utilization of dental services.…”

Early Response and Clinical Efficacy of a Mouthwash Containing Chlorhexidine, Anti Discoloration System, Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Vinyl Acetate and Sodium DNA in Periodontitis Model: A Triple-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

“…The repair action could be supposed as a synergic activity of this pathway with different growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) [ 32 ]. In the present investigation, the baseline values showed no statistically significant differences in FMPS and FMBS in the Test and Placebo study groups, both of which exceeded 20%, which, in the literature, is associated with a high risk of progression of periodontal disease [ 20 , 22 , 33 , 34 ]. The rationale of the full mouth plaque and bleeding score is determined by the assessment of the mesial, distal, buccal, and palatal/lingual parts of the teeth by a dichotomous measurement (if present or absent) [ 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

Denture care and oral health‐related quality of life among complete denture wearers in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

“…These factor in play a crucial role in getting an adequate dental care and are known to negative affect OHRQ oL. 44,45 The relationship of education and income with OHRQoL was explored in the present study. Education was found to be a significant factor in relation to OHRQoL as higher education level was significantly related to the higher OHIP-EDENT score.…”