Study on the Relationship between Dental Care and Overall Health Perceived by the Visually Impaired

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The complexity of dental health has a great influence on the overall health of people. Considering the fact that it is more difficult for the visually impaired to manage their dental condition, the study delves into the relationship between their dental care status and overall health, while looking for ways to improve and complement them. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The study utilized the SPSS Win ver. 18.0 program to analyze the frequency of dental care condition and its’ related characteristics, the Duncan for the after review of differences among groups, and the multiple regression analysis to figure out the correlation between general characteristics and dental care condition, as well as to find the factors affecting objective health condition. Findings: 58.9% replied to not using any dental care products, 42% to replacing their toothbrushes after they wear down, and 90.2% responded as receiving no education related to dental health. Results show that there is a positive relationship to overall health conditions on those living with sons and daughters over living alone, and statistically meaningful differences to illness were shown in the average comparison of health related characteristics and overall health condition. Improvements/Applications: The visually impaired, who depends on memory, has outstanding learning ability compared to others with different disabilities. Thus, it is expected that an opportunity to receive education on dental care will increase their ability to manage their own dental health as well as their overall health.