Comparison of supplied amount of pit and fissure sealing on the first permanent molars by age and disparity of dental accessibility using National Health Insurance data / 대한구강보건학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to review the supplied amount of pit and fissure sealing (PFS) by age and dental accessibility of children after PFS was included in the list of treatments covered by National Health Insurance (NHI). METHODS: The comparison period was selected by considering the availability of data and the initiated time of PFS inclusion into NHI. The selected data period after inclusion was 2010-2012. Data were collected from the NHI database. To categorize the areas by high and low dental accessibility, the number of dental institutions was standardized by population per width of area. RESULTS: Supplied amount of PFS to the first permanent molars in children aged 6 to 8 years constituted to about 70% of the total supplied amount during 2010-2012. However, this supplied amount was less than 8% of the total number of the first permanent molars in that age group. Number of supplied PFS for ages 6 to 8 years was 8.4% and 6.3% of the total number of first permanent molars for high and low dental accessibility areas, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although PFS supply was increased after inclusion in NHI coverage, it is still insufficient to reduce the decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index effectively. To increase the supplied amount of PFS and to reduce inequality of supply between areas of high and low dental accessibility, strengthening of and focus on education related to PFS, reduced out-of-pocket expenditure, and advocacy are needed for appropriate target age groups and areas.