**5. Discussions**

Dental Carries is believed to be a rapidly increasing oral health problem in developing countries. KKU Studies of tooth loss due to dental carries [5], factors related to tooth loss [7], dental care services at PCU [10], and dental care services at industrial estates [11] were similar to the study of Ahlberg et al. [27], which suggests that there should be dental services in industrial estates in order to prevent dental carries and its sequelae. Our finding suggest that utilization of dental care services varies by person, place, and time. It can be categorized into two factors e.g. economic factors and non-economics factors. The economic factors indicated the ability to pay for dental care treatment. Non-economic factors present awareness of oral health problems. People who use dental care services regularly will not have tooth decay.

Findings of KKU studies of ECO and smoking status [2], ECO and oral health status in active and passive smokers [3], ECO and age [8], and smoking status and best ECO cut-off level and oral conditions [9] were similar to prior studies [28, 29], which supports that the level of carbon monoxide in the exhaled breath might be used as an indicator of smoking status.

Findings of periodontitis associated with tobacco smoking [4] were similar to prior studies [30, 31], which found that tobacco smoking was related to periodontitis. Our findings from both data sets suggest that tobacco smoking is directly associated with periodontitis, and thus enhances the possibility of increased tooth extraction.

Results of KKU studies about betel quid chewing and oral health problems [1] were similar to Mehta et al. [32], which found the relationship of betel leaf chewing and periodontal disease. Our findings indicated that although betel quid chewing may reduce dental caries, betel quid chewing is a risk indicator of periodontitis enhancing the risk of increasing tooth loss.

KKU reports of dental and jaw injuries [6] were similar to the prior studies [33, 34], which have reported occurrences of injuries to the body as well as to oral cavity and jaw. We found that the location of boxing camps in the upper northeast of Thailand as well as boxing camps in rural area were directly related to dental trauma and injuries among these Thai boxing athletes.

### **6. Conclusions**

The results from those projects and research indicate that these projects were successful because of the co-operation from the leaders of the schools, the leaders of the communities, health care providers in their districts, health volunteers in the villages, awareness of the students and the villagers, follow-up studies by KKU staffs and their students at least twice, one-year follow-up for evaluation of the outcome of villagers' health and oral health, as well as a five-year follow-up to evaluate the sustainability of the development under the supervision and funding support from the director of Khon Kaen University and all Faculties related in KKU and the College of Asian Scholars.

From the KKU projects and research above it was seen that Thai people faced oral hygiene and oral health problems. The KKU field practice course is useful to reduce this problem. There should be a policy of protection programs for Muay Thai athletes by the Muay Thai Committees. There should be a dental clinic provided near communities which can give them oral health education programs. Services and welfare for dental treatment should be provided, or there should be a dental clinic in the workplace eg. on an Industrial Estate. Preventive programs should be established to stop people chewing betel quids.

KKU field works, projects and research by KKU staffs and their students were able to assist the public and the related organizations that have the duty to deal with these problems. Some of them are effective in reducing oral health problems of students and villagers eg. PCU Samliaum of Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen province, Nong Song Hong School, Khon Kaen province, and Ban Sum village, Yasothorn province.

### **Acknowledgements**

The authors thank all of the respondents for their valuable contribution to our studies, the Cancer Unit of Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Dentistry, Khon Kaen University and the College of Asian Scholars staffs and their students for data support and funding support, Ajarn Ian Thomas for grammatical corrections.

*Oral Health Problems of Thai People Reported by Khon Kaen University Staffs during 1984 to 2020 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100355*
