OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine whether Prunus mume extracts have an antimicrobial effect against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Streptococcus sobrinus (S. sobrinus). METHODS: The study used crushed and dried Prunus mume, to which 80% methanol was added to obtain extracts. The extracts then underwent a demarcation process, sequentially using hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate, all of which have different polarities, followed by a reduction in pressure . The disc diffusion method was then used to measure the clear zone diameter to identify the antimicrobial effect of Prunus mume extracts using the different solvents. The methanol extracts that presented antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and S. sobrinus were then selected, and their optical densities (3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h after cultivation) were measured to identify growth retardation effects based on extract concentration (0.01, 0.1, 1, and 5 mg/ml). RESULTS: A clear zone was observed in methanol and ethyl acetate for S. mutans when the antimicrobial effect of Prunus mume extracts of each solvent against oral microorganisms was measured via the disc diffusion method. A clear zone was observed in hexane, chloroform, methanol, and ethyl acetate, when the extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity against S. sobrinus. The extract concentration of 1 mg/ml retarded growth with a statistical significance (P<0.05) from 6 h onwards, as determined when the optical density was measured hourly and the growth curves of S. mutans and S. sobrinus were plotted. CONCLUSIONS: Prunus mume extracts retarded the growth of S. mutans and S. sobrinus with increase in time and concentration. Therefore, Prunus mume extracts hold the potential to be used for developing an oral antimicrobial agent to control dental caries.
Bacteria* ; Chloroform ; Dental Caries ; Diffusion ; Methanol ; Methods ; Prunus* ; Solvents ; Streptococcus mutans ; Streptococcus sobrinus

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) professional periodontal care program model for patients with hypertension and diabetes. METHODS: This descriptive case study included 151 participants of the professional periodontal care program. The CBPR-based professional periodontal care program consists of 5-steps: ‘Issue identification and prioritization’ (Step 1), ‘Strategy development’ (Step 2), ‘Entry into community’ (Step 3), ‘Implementation’ (Step 4), and ‘Transition’ (Step 5). Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency analysis, and descriptive data with PASW 23.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The results of the Focus group interview (FGI) were classified as ‘general opinions regarding the program planning and operation receptiveness’, ‘sustainability’, ‘potential spread of the program’, and ‘improvement of program’. The interviews were qualitative research involving seven people. RESULTS: 1. Participants increased their interest in health and oral health by managing their hypertension, diabetes, and periodontal disease using community resources. Through this, healthy practices and improved awareness helped to prevent complications and manage periodontal diseases. 2. Community organizations actively cooperated, resulting in positive changes in oral health practices (increased registration of patients in education centers for hypertension and diabetes, and increased number of patients visiting the local dental clinic). In the future, it was positive to participate in the program continuously. CONCLUSIONS: The most important step is ‘Entry into community’, which has led to active participation and cooperation of community organizations and participants. Therefore, community organizations and strategy development should be discussed, and the role of community leaders should be emphasized to build cooperative relationships. In addition, participation in and collaboration with health-based projects should be achieved through a search of various community organizations.
Chronic Disease ; Community-Based Participatory Research ; Consumer Participation ; Cooperative Behavior ; Education ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Oral Health ; Periodontal Diseases ; Qualitative Research

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare enamel remineralization effects of human whole saliva and currently available artificial saliva compositions, using teeth exposed to chemical pH cycling conditions, and to obtain data that can inform future design and manufacturing of additional artificial saliva compositions. METHODS: Seventy-two specimens of bovine tooth enamel were embedded in resin, then polished and exposed to a lactate/carbopol buffer system for 48-52 hours. Specimens were allocated into six experimental groups (n=12 specimens per group) by randomized blocks, such that each group contained an equivalent proportion of specimens at each Vickers hardness number (VHN) stratum: deionized water as a negative control, human whole saliva and artificial saliva compositions A, B, C and D. Surface hardness was measured before and after 15 days of chemical pH cycling. Surface microhardness was measured (Fm-7, Future-tech Corp, Japan) before and after treatment with test saliva compositions. One-way ANOVA, with post hoc Tukey test, was used to evaluate statistical differences with a significance threshold of P<0.05. RESULTS: The intragroup changes in microhardness (ΔVHN) for treatment with each saliva composition were (in ascending order of ΔVHN): ―0.39±16.08 (deionized water control), 7.32±11.52 (artificial saliva B), 39.18±11.94 (artificial saliva C), 3.83±13.81 (artificial saliva D), 62.44±29.23 (artificial saliva A) and 102.90±25.89 (human whole saliva). Enamel treated with human saliva, or with artificial saliva compositions A, C, or D, demonstrated comparatively greater microhardness than enamel treated with deionized water or artificial saliva B. There was no difference in surface hardness between enamel treated with artificial saliva B and enamel treated with deionized water. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that human saliva and artificial saliva compositions A, C, and D are effective remineralization solutions for use in pH cycling.
Dental Caries* ; Dental Enamel ; Hardness ; Humans* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Saliva ; Saliva, Artificial* ; Tooth ; Water

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we strived to determine the possibility of socioeconomic welfare in oral healthcare by analyzing the National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage rate. To date, efforts to realize the “social economy” of healthcare are active. While oral disease is common and chronic among Koreans, the rate of NHI coverage of dental clinics is substantially lower than that of the medical clinics. METHODS: We defined the NHI coverage of dental clinics as a proxy for “social skills” to improve oral health problems. The data were collected through a comparative analysis of the NHI coverage of dental clinics and that of non-dental clinics, in health welfare social cooperatives. RESULTS: The NHI coverage rate of the dental clinics in health welfare social cooperatives ranged from 0.97 to 2.62 times that of the non-dental clinics in health welfare social cooperatives. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, responsible management is recommended for making health welfare social cooperatives meaningful as a social economy.
Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Clinics* ; Ecosystem* ; Humans ; Insurance Coverage ; National Health Programs ; Oral Health ; Proxy ; Social Medicine ; Social Welfare

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between smoking and periodontal diseases in Korean middle-aged men based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2015. METHODS: The study subjects were 708 men aged 40 years and over and whose data included oral health behavior (status), community periodontal index, and smoking status. The statistical analyses were conducted by applying a complex sample analysis technique. RESULTS: In terms of the relationship between smoking and periodontal status, the risk of periodontitis was 1.99-fold higher in those aged 50 years and over. It was also 1.17-fold higher for the chewing problem “Average,” 2.877-fold higher for the chewing problem “Poor,” and 1.862-fold higher for smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the need for smoking cessation should be widely publicized in order to promote public oral health.
Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Mastication ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Oral Health* ; Periodontal Diseases* ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking*

OBJECTIVES: Resistance to antibiotics is getting worse every day. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed medicines for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections in dental clinics. Nationally, we are attempting to reduce the use of antibiotics, but this cannot be easily achieved. As a precedent study, we investigated factors affecting antibiotic prescription in dental clinics. METHODS: We analyzed electronic patient records of S dental hospital located in a big city. A total of 12,711 medical records were analyzed. The type of prescribed antibiotic, the prescription rate, and the number of prescription days were analyzed by chi-square test and t-test. Factors associated with the rate of antibiotic prescription were analyzed using logistic regression by dividing the independent variables into four groups: patient characteristics, dentist characteristics, treatment characteristics, and time characteristics. RESULTS: The rate of antibiotic prescription was 91.7% for the first implant surgery and 60.0% for minor operations including incision and drainage. The duration of antibiotic prescription differed according to the sex of the dentist and the type of treatment. The logistic regression analysis showed that the rate of antibiotic prescription was higher in male patients, in older patients, and in female dentists, and decreased with increasing age of the dentist. Compared with basic treatment, the odds ratio of first implant surgery was highest at 102.166 times, minor operation at 18.997, and extraction of impacted tooth at 14.429. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to analyze the factors affecting prescription rate of antibiotics in dental clinics. We found that the antibiotic prescription rate was significantly different for each dental treatment. It was necessary to analyze the prescription rate of antibiotics according to the type of treatment. The fact that prescribing antibiotics differed according to dentist characteristics indicated that consistent guidelines need to be established and promoted.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Infections ; Dental Clinics ; Dentists ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Medical Records ; Odds Ratio ; Prescriptions* ; Tooth, Impacted

OBJECTIVES: Dental plaque is composed of 700 bacterial species. It is known that some oral microorganisms produce porphyrin, and thus, they emit red fluorescence when illuminated with blue light at a specific wavelength of <410 nm. Porphyromonas gingivalis belongs to the genus Porphyromonas, which is characterized by the production of porphyrin. The aim of this study was to evaluate red fluorescence emission of some oral microorganisms interacting with P. gingivalis. METHODS: Five bacterial strains (P. gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei, Actinomyces naeslundii, and Fusobacterium nucleatum) were used for this study. Tryptic soy agar medium supplemented with hemin, vitamin K3, and sheep blood was used as a growth medium. The fluorescence emission of bacterial colonies was evaluated under 405 nm-wavelength blue light using a Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence Digital (QLF-D) camera system. Each bacterium was cultured alone and co-cultured in close proximity with P. gingivalis. The red/green (R/G) ratio of fluorescence image was calculated and the differences of R/G ratio according to each growth condition were compared using the Mann-Whitney test (P<0.05). RESULTS: Single cultured S. mutans, L. casei and A. naeslundii colonies emitted red fluorescence (R/G ratio=2.15±0.06, 4.31±0.17, 5.52±1.29, respectively). Fusobacterium nucleatum colonies emitted green fluorescence (R/G ratio=1.36±0.06). The R/G ratios of A. naeslundii and F. nucleatum were increased when P. gingivalis was co-cultured with each bacterium (P<0.05). In contrast, the R/G ratios of S. mutans and L. casei were decreased when P. gingivalis was co-cultured with each bacterium (P=0.002, 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that P. gingivalis could affect the red fluorescence of other oral bacteria under 405 nm-wavelength blue light. Our findings concluded that P. gingivalis has an important role for red fluorescence emission of dental biofilm.
Actinomyces ; Agar ; Bacteria* ; Biofilms ; Dental Plaque ; Fluorescence* ; Fusobacterium ; Fusobacterium nucleatum ; Hemin ; Lactobacillus casei ; Porphyromonas gingivalis* ; Porphyromonas* ; Sheep ; Streptococcus mutans ; Vitamin K 3

OBJECTIVES: Dental caries and periodontitis are major oral bacterial infections associated with dental plaque. Infection and inflammation play a role in carcinogenesis, and a significant link has been found between some highly prevalent oral and dental diseases and some types of cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cancer and oral health among Korean adults. METHODS: Data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to analyze the incidence of cancer according to oral health. Demographic and socioeconomic statuses and oral behavior of the participants was analyzed using complex chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between a high DMFT index and cancer by calculating the 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In total, 6,450 case-control subjects were included. Significant difference was observed in the DMFT index, but not in periodontal diseases, between the cases and controls. The odds ratio for cancer was 1.80 (95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 2.73) in the high-risk group. However, no significant difference was observed after adjusting for age, education level, and income. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide potential evidence of a significant association between cancer and oral disease.
Adult* ; Bacterial Infections ; Carcinogenesis ; Case-Control Studies ; Dental Caries ; Dental Plaque ; Education ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Oral Health* ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontitis ; Social Class ; Stomatognathic Diseases

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral health behaviors of Korean male workers and analyze the variables affecting oral health behavior. METHODS: This study used data from the 2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES), from which 1,341 male workers who answered the questionnaires were selected. The data were analyzed by chi-squared test and logistic regression using PASW Statistics 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), and 95% confidence intervals were computed. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between oral health behaviors and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Oral health behaviors varied according to the male worker's job. Brushing teeth two or more times a day varied with levels of stress. The prevalence of people who use supplementary oral hygiene devices was 49.5%. It was increased in male workers with a spouse or high educational level (P<0.05). In addition, office workers were more likely than laborers (P<0.05) to use a supplementary oral hygiene device. The prevalence of people who brush their teeth before sleep was 41.8%. Young male workers (20-39 years old) were more likely to brush their teeth before sleep than senior workers (≥60 years old) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to prepare a plan to promote an interest in dental hygiene in laborers and those who work in the agricultural and fishing industries. Oral health education, oral health programs, campaigns, oral check-up systems, and improvements in working environments are needed to improve the oral health behaviors of male workers.
Education ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Oral Health* ; Oral Hygiene ; Prevalence ; Spouses ; Tooth

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of remineralization over time after application of fluoride varnish with and without tricalcium phosphate (TCP). METHODS: This in vitro study used extracted bovine lateral incisors without dental caries. Artificial lesions were created in the enamel specimens. The amount of mineral loss (ΔF(before)) was measured using quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF). Test fluoride varnishes (10 mg) were applied to the enamel surface of the specimen and dried for 4 min. No fluoride varnish was applied to the specimens in the control group. Each group was randomly assigned 12 specimens, and remineralization was allowed to occur to different time points (0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h) in each group. Specimens were washed with distilled water and dried with compressed air for 3 s. ΔF(after) was determined using QLF. RESULTS: When fluoride varnish containing TCP was applied for up to 6 h, the amount of mineral loss significantly increased, and when non-TCP fluoride varnish was applied for up to 12 hours, the amount of mineral loss significantly increased (P<0.05). However, the amount of mineral loss was higher in the control group. The difference between ΔF(before) and ΔF(after) (ΔΔF) increased over time. There was a significant difference between the TCP group and the control group after 6 h. The non-TCP group showed a significant difference after 24 h compared to the control group. After 12 h, significant differences were observed in the TCP group compared to both the non-TCP and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the degree of remineralization increased gradually over time after fluoride varnish application compared to the control group. In particular, fluoride varnish containing TCP showed better remineralization capability than varnish without TCP.
Compressed Air ; Dental Caries ; Dental Enamel ; Fluorescence ; Fluorides* ; Fluorides, Topical ; In Vitro Techniques ; Incisor ; Miners ; Paint* ; Water