September 2010

Objective: To determine the proportion of dental offices in Nagasaki, Japan, that are wheelchair accessible and to identify factors related to the adoption of barrier-free designs within the study area. Methods: All 703 dental offices managed by members of the Nagasaki Prefecture Dental Association were studied. We evaluated the accessibility of the offices to wheelchair users and compared the percentage and adjusted odds ratio of the accessible dental offices according to dental office characteristics. Results: Of the respondents, 62% deemed their offices accessible. The percentage and adjusted odds ratio of accessible offices were significantly higher for offices offering more specialties, providing more frequent home visits, and with younger head dentists. Conclusion: According to the self-reported results from dentists, more than one third of the dental offices in Nagasaki were not easily accessible by mobility-impaired persons. Dentists should the understand architectural and perceptual barriers faced by handicapped persons and the aged and consider barrier-free office designs for all patients. Keywords: Dental office design, physically disabled persons, wheelchair