OBJECTIVES: This pilot study aimed to obtain preliminary data on the associations between atherosclerosisand periodontitis, physical health status, and general and oral health behaviors. METHODS: Thirty-three subjects were recruited from among those who underwent carotid computed tomography (CT) angiography and general health check-up at the Seoul National University Hospital Health Examination Center (SNUHHEC). Two trained dentists conducted a periodontal examination to evaluate probing pocket depth and clinical attachment loss. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by study subjects, following informed consent. Data on physical health status were collected through review of medical records from the SNUHHEC. Information on general health behavior was obtainedfrom the self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0®. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: A marginal, but non-significant association was noted between atherosclerosis and periodontitis(P=0.373). Flossing habit showed a significant association with periodontitis (P=0.007) and obesity (P=0.033). A possible association was noted between daily exercise and flossing (P=0.073). The habitual use of interdental brush also showed borderline association with smoking (P=0.098) and a stronger associationwith previous periodontal treatment (P=0.067); however, these associations were not statisticallysignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Our pilot study did not show an association between arteriosclerosis and periodontal disease.However, positive oral health care behavior, especially flossing, seems to alleviate arteriosclerosis. In other words, in this pilot survey, we confirmed the possibility that healthy oral care behavior can help to alleviate arteriosclerosis. Future large-scale studies are needed to confirm whether positive oral health care behaviors improve overall health.
Angiography ; Arteriosclerosis ; Atherosclerosis* ; Dental Care* ; Dentists ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Medical Records ; Obesity ; Oral Health ; Overweight ; Periodontitis* ; Pilot Projects* ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking

OBJECTIVES: Unmet needs for dental treatment are one of the potential contributing factors to poor oral health because oral health problems worsen if left untreated. This study aimed to demonstrate the prevalence of and the causes for unmet dental needs, and to evaluate the association between unmet needs for dental treatment and oral health status. METHODS: Data on 3,883 subjects aged ≥18 years from the Korean National Oral Health Survey 2006 were analyzed. Information regarding unmet needs for dental treatment was obtained using standardized questionnaires. Eight trained dentists examined decayed, missing, or filled teeth (DMFT). Multiple regression models were built to assess the association between unmet needs for dental treatment and the DMFT scores. RESULTS: The prevalence of perceived unmet needs for dental treatment was 34.7% among the adult Korean population. Economic constraints were the main cause (38.6%) for unmet dental needs. The average DMFT scores were higher in the subjects with unmet needs for dental treatment than in those without. In individuals with unmet needs for dental treatment within the past 1 year, the number of decayed teeth after adjusting for confounders was likely to be greater by 0.58 and that of missing teeth by 0.27 compared to that in their counterparts with no unmet dental needs in the past 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived unmet needs for dental treatment were significantly associated with poor oral health status among the adult Korean population. Further studies are needed to clarify the direct and indirect effects of unmet needs for dental treatment on an individual's oral health status by investigating critical variables of the causal pathways among perceived dental needs, dental care utilization, and oral health status.
Adult* ; Dental Care ; Dental Health Surveys ; Dentists ; DMF Index ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Oral Health ; Prevalence ; Tooth

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare Plaque Percent Index (PPI), calculated by Patient Hygiene Performance Index (PHPI), Rustogi's modification of the Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI), and the Quigley & Hein Plaque Index (QHPI), with visual assessment. METHODS: Ninety-six subjects, aged between 30–65 years, were examined; twenty subjects were included in the final analysis. The subjects' teeth were stained and photographed. Dental coloring and intraoral camera photography were performed by a single examiner. The oral images obtained were analyzed using Image J to measure the area of dental plaque. The values of PHPI, RMNPI, and QHPI were calculated twice. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The results of the correlation analyses of PPI with PHPI, QHPI, and RMNPI were as follows: for PHPI, the correlation coefficient (r)=0.584; for QHPI, r=0.689; and for RMNPI, r=0.729. Further, the kappa indices of PHPI, QHPI, and RMNPI were 0.810, 0.677, and 0.590 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among RMNPI, QHPI, and PHPI dental plaque indices, RMNPI and QHPI showed a high degree of correlation with the actual stained dental plaque area; on the other hand, PHPI showed the highest kappa index.
Dental Plaque Index* ; Dental Plaque* ; Hand ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Photography ; Tooth

OBJECTIVES: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) of the neck is a frequent health problem in dental hygienists. This study was conducted to assess the risk factors of neck musculoskeletal disorder (neck MSD) using video recording. METHODS: The subjects were 50 currently working dental hygienists who agreed to participate in this study. A standardized questionnaire about WMSD (NIOSH/KOSHA) was distributed and video recording for neck posture and motion was performed between August and October 2012. The video recording was performed for 5 minutes using the reflective marker attachment on the 7th cervical vertebra. Major observation points included neck flexion angle, number of flexions, and length of static work when performing scaling and prosthetic procedures. Data were analyzed using MedCalc (ver 12.3.0, Mariakerke, Belgium), and the risk factors for neck MSD were assessed using simple and multiple variate analysis. RESULTS: The mean age and work experience of the subjects were 27.9 years and 5 years respectively. The prevalence of neck MSD symptoms that met NIOSH/KOSHA's criteria was 48%. The mean angle of neck flexion was 54.6°, mean maximum angle of flexion was 64.8°, and the mean time of static posture was 4.8 minutes during the 5 minutes recording interval. In the multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted by career, daily work time, and posture, the prevalence of neck MSD symptoms increased by 1.47 times (95% CI=0.24–9.48) with flexion >45°, and by 4.90 times (95% CI=0.91–26.4) when a static posture was preserved for >4.8 minutes CONCLUSIONS: The measured angle of flexion and time of preserved static posture identified further serious than expected. Therefore, to reduce the risk of neck MSD, reasonable and practically applicable guidelines to correct neck bending and tilting, especially to relax the long static posture associated with flexion, should be prepared.
Dental Hygienists* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Neck* ; Posture ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors* ; Spine ; Video Recording*

OBJECTIVES: Bacterial colonization on toothbrushes can cause stomatitis and other oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis. In this study we tested 18 toothbrushes, of which six were left exposedto the air, six were stored in a plastic bag, and six in a toothbrush case. METHODS: ATP (RLU: relatively light unit) values measured by ATP Luminometer were compared with APC (CFU: colony forming unit) by swabbing culture method using 3M™ petrifilm™ aerobic count plates. RESULTS: Swabs from toothbrushes left exposed in the air developed an average of 651.67±261.94 CFU, while the “In plastic bag” and the “In toothbrush case” specimens developed 593.17±354.33 and 120.83±68.87 CFU, respectively. CONCLUSION: The best option is to rinse the toothbrush well with water and to keep them dry in a well-ventilated area in order to reduce the growth of bacteria in a public bath.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Bacteria ; Baths* ; Colon* ; Dental Caries ; Methods ; Periodontitis ; Plastics ; Stomatitis ; Water

OBJECTIVES: Stress is a psychological reaction to stimuli such as anxiety or threat felt by a person either physically or mentally when placed in a difficult situation. Although a relationship between stress and dry mouth has been reported, it remains understudied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between stress and subjective dry mouth among the elderly living in a rural region. METHODS: A total of 214 people aged ≥60 years living in a rural area were recruited with an informed consent for a cross-sectional analysis. Information about stress and subjective dry mouth was obtained by an interview survey with a constructed questionnaire. Data on other potential confounding factors (including oral factors) such as socio-demographic data, health-related behaviors, the number of remaining teeth, and subjective chewing ability were also gathered at the same time. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship of stress and dry mouth using SPSS. RESULTS: The Crude odds ratio (OR) of stress awareness affecting subjective dry mouth was 2.59 (95% confidence interval: 1.43–4.68). After adjusting for sex, education, income, smoking, and alcohol intake, the adjusted OR was 2.52 (95% confidence interval: 1.30–4.87) which was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly people who were stressed had an approximately 2-fold increase in experiencing subjective dry mouth when compared to their stress-free counterparts.
Aged* ; Anxiety ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Logistic Models ; Mastication ; Mouth ; Odds Ratio ; Pilot Projects* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tooth

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge, safety climate, and compliance with hospital standard precautions among dental hygienists, and investigate the influencing factors. METHODS: A biased sampling method was used. Using the modified questionnaire, data were collected from 146 dental hygienists working at dental hospitals, general hospitals, and University hospitals, during September to October 2015. Data were entered and analyzed using software SPSS 20.0. RESULTS: The knowledge, safety climate, and compliance score of the hygienists regarding hospital standard precautions, were high when evaluation was carried out during healthcare accreditation or its preparation. The most important factor affecting compliance with the hospital standard precautions was working experience. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge, safety climate, and compliance with hospital infection standard precautions were all high, on certification by the healthcare accreditation system.
Accreditation ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Certification ; Climate* ; Compliance* ; Cross Infection* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Hygienists* ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Methods

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the changes in bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations in urine from before to after sealant filling and the relationship between BPA and the number of teeth with sealed surfaces. METHODS: Thirty-one children aged 6 and 7 years from three elementary schools in Daegu city who did not have any sealant and resin filling were selected as subjects. Urine samples were collected before and after sealant filling until 24 hours, with informed consent from their caregivers. The BPA concentration in all the collected urine samples was analyzed at Seegene Medical. Statistical analysis was performed using the Friedman test, Scheirer-Ray-Hope test, and the repeated-measures generalized linear mixed model of SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: The BPA concentrations increased from 3.49-μg/g creatinine before to 4.91-μg/g creatinine 2-3 hours later and to 4.15-μg/g creatinine after 24 hours. The more teeth with sealed surfaces, the higher the BPA concentration in children, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The BPA concentrations were highest at 2–3 hours after sealant filling and decreased at 24 hours. Exposure to the sealant appears to have a meaningful correlation with the concentration of BPA in the urine of children.
Caregivers ; Child* ; Creatinine ; Daegu ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Tooth

No abstract available.
Dental Research* ; Insurance, Health*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between vitamin C, vitamin D, and periodontal diseases in adults. METHODS: The data used for analysis were obtained from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2014). Subjects were 2,702 adults aged from 19 to 64 years. Complex Chi-square tests and complex logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between vitamins and periodontal status. RESULTS: There is no statistically significant association between vitamin C intake and periodontal status. Periodontal status of subjects with a low vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) level was better than that of the subjects with a high level (P<0.05). However, multivariate analysis demonstrated that this association is not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: More follow-up studies are necessary to determine the association of the vitamins C and D with the periodontal diseases.
Adult ; Ascorbic Acid ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nutrition Surveys ; Periodontal Diseases ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins*