Oral Health Status and Oral Health Services Utilization of Myanmar Residents in Japan

The purpose of this study was to investigate oral health status and oral health care services utilization among Myanmar residents in Japan. A crosssectional epidemiological study was performed among 152 Myanmar residents aged 18 to 67 years in Tokyo, Japan. Clinical oral examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted from June to July, 2017. Caries prevalence for all participants was 70.4% with mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) of 2.72±2.91. The prevalence of periodontal disease (Community Periodontal Index - CPI code 1) for all participants was 93.4%. A total of 67 participants (44.1%) had the experience of dental visits in Japan. Most participants (84.2%) had Japanese health insurance, and the participants with health insurance had a significantly higher number of filled teeth than those without (p=0.036). DMFT (p=0.020) and the prevalence of periodontal disease (p=0.049) were significantly lower in participants with health insurance than in those without. Further, self-perceived oral health was better in participants with health insurance than those without (p=0.001). The status of health insurance was indicated to influence on oral health status. In order to promote oral health and facilitate on owning health insurance to Myanmar residents in Japan, oral health education also should be provided to enhance their oral health knowledge.