子どもの頃に学校や家庭において受けた歯科保健に関わる教育や体験が口腔の自己管理能力の定着に影響を及ぼしていることが推定されるが、実際の調査はほとんどなされていない。本研究では、大学生333人を対象として、子どもの頃の教育や体験並びに現在の自己口腔管理能力に関する質問紙調査を実施した。有効回答数は250人であった。そのうち75.5%が食後の歯みがきを定期的に実施していたが、歯科検診を定期的に実施していたのはわずか4.8%であった。子どもの頃、家庭で｢歯みがきをしなさいの声かけ｣を84.0%、｢仕上げみがき｣を61.2%が受けていた。この｢声かけ｣や｢仕上げみがき｣と、現在の自己管理能力との間に明らかな関係性を見出すことが出来なかったが、家庭での｢定期的な歯科受診｣、｢フッソ塗布｣や｢間食ルール｣の体験と、｢現在の歯科検診｣や｢食生活習慣｣の自己管理能力との関連性が示された。学校での教育の中では｢歯科検診｣と｢保健だより｣が多く経験されており、特に小学校ではそれぞれ92.4%と91.2%の高率であった。学校での｢歯科検診｣と｢保健だより｣と現在の｢毎食後の歯みがき実施｣や｢口腔内を鏡で見る習慣｣との関連性が示された。また学校での｢給食後の歯みがきの経験あり｣は小学校で65.2%であったが、現在の毎食後の歯みがき実施に影響するだけでなく食生活習慣との関連性が示された。これらの結果から、子どもの頃の家庭や学校における教育や体験が大学生の自己管理能力の定着に少なからず影響していることが示された。
Although an inference can be presented that dental health education and experiences in one’s childhood at school or home have an impact on stabilization of dental self-care competency, few researches have been published. This study investigated correlation between dental health education and experiences in childhood and present dental self-care competency by a questionnaire aimed at 333 university students. Out of 250 valid responses, 75.5% students were brushing their teeth after a meal regularly, but it was only 4.8% of them to have regular dental check-ups. In their childhood, 84.0% were encouraged to do tooth brushing at home and 61.2% had their teeth cleaned up by their family. The correlation between these results and their present dental habits was not significant, however, their experience at home of having regular dental check-ups and fluorine application, as well as having been disciplined with snack taking habit showed a certain correlation with their present dental habits particularly of having regular check-ups and their daily diet. Among questionnaire items concerning school education, many of the students have had dental check-ups and referred to medical advice given in newsletters by school nurse’s office, resulting in significantly high percentage of 92.4 and 91.2 respectively for primary educational setting. A correlation was observed between these two and present dental habits of brushing teeth after every meal and mirroring oral cavity to check. The encouragement of post-meal brushing at elementary school, which 65.2% of them had experienced, not only influenced their habit of regular post-meal brushing but had correlated with their dietary habits. These results suggest that dental health education and experiences in one’s childhood at home or school has some influence on one’s present dental self-care competency even after they have grown up to the age of university.