Background: The establishment of a strategy for the reduction and prevention of oral disease, a global pervasive disease, isconsidered one of the important national health policy strategies. In Korea, the 5th Comprehensive National Health Promotion Plan is currently in progress, but there is insufficient research on the transition process or improvement direction in the field of oral health. Methods: Changes in Comprehensive National Health Promotion Plan’s Oral health sector in three countries were compared, and the direction of the three countries (Korea, the United States, and Canada) in accordance with the recent Oral health paradigm was confirmed. In this study, we reviewed the existing literature using the narrative review method to draw implications for strategies and directions for oral health promotion in Korea. Results: In Korea, the oral health promotion strategy is included in the 5th Comprehensive National Health Promotion Plan, andthe project is being led by the government. The United States prepared a national-led oral health promotion strategy and suggested multi-disciplinary cooperation to improve overall oral health and reduce the oral health inequality. For more active intervention, Canada established an oral health-related department and assigned experts, while emphasizing cooperation between the government and the private sector. Conclusion As a result of this study, Korea is also making efforts to improve oral health, but more active government interventionis needed to reduce the inequality in oral health by population group. To this end, it is necessary to establish a strong multi-sectoral cooperation system and prepare a strategy for implementation.

Background: In this study, we investigated the changes and factors that affect daily health behaviors due to COVID-19 among adolescents. We intend to provide basic data so that a systematic and comprehensive health education program that includes physical and oral health can be made. Methods: This study was a secondary data analysis of the from the 2019 and 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. A final sample of 112,251 participants was anlayzed using chi-square test, and ordinal logistic regression. Results: In the case of tooth brushing, the frequency of ‘never’ increased in most general characteristics compared to before COVID-19. In the case of handwashing, it was found that handwashing behavior increased (increased) after COVID-19 compared to before COVID-19. As a result of confirming the factors affecting tooth brushing behavior before and after COVID-19, it was found that girls brushed teeth 2.2 times more regularly after lunch than boys. As a result of adjusting all other factors, regular tooth brushing behavior after COVID-19 was reduced by 0.79 times compared to before COVID-19. Conclusion It is judged that it is necessary to operate a comprehensive health management program in the school so that the most basic tooth brushing for oral health and handwashing for health can become a habit. In addition, by confirming the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on handwashing and tooth brushing behavior through this study, it is expected to be used in the development of policy data such as raising awareness of brushing and improving behaviors applicable in the current and upcoming new pandemic situations

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the public demand for information about the job of dental hygienists by mining text data collected from the online Q & A section on an Internet portal site. Methods: Text data were collected from inquiries that were posted on the Naver Q & A section from January 2003 to July 2020 using “dental hygienist job recognition,” “role recognition,” “medical assistance,” and “scaling” as search keywords. Text mining techniques were used to identify significant Korean words and their frequency of occurrence. In addition, the association between words was analyzed. Results: A total of 10,753 Korean words related to the job of dental hygienists were extracted from the text data. “Chi-lyo (treatment),” “chigwa (dental clinic),” “ske-illing (scaling),” “itmom (gum),” and “chia (tooth)” were the five most frequently used words. The words were classified into the following areas of job of the dental hygienist: periodontal disease treatment and prevention, medical assistance, patient care and consultation, and others. Among these areas, the number of words related to medical assistance was the largest, with sixty-six association rules found between the words, and “chi-lyo,” “chigwa,” and “ske-illing” as core words. Conclusion The public demand for information about the job of dental hygienists was mainly related to “chi-lyo,” “chigwa,” and “ske-illing” as core words, demonstrating that scaling is recognized by the public as the job of a dental hygienist. However, the high demand for information related to treatment and medical assistance in the context of dental hygienists indicates that the job of dental hygienists is recognized by the public as being more focused on medical assistance than preventive dental care that are provided with job autonomy.

Background: This study aimed to identify the role of dental hygienists in exchanges between North and South Korea to lower gaps in the level of dental healthcare between the two countries by conducting a Delphi survey with specialists and identifying alternative policies regarding the utilization of dental hygienists in such exchanges. Methods: Two Delphi surveys were conducted with the participation of nine specialists, and descriptive statistical analyses including mean and standard deviation were performed on the collected data. Results Among methods of exchange and cooperation regarding oral healthcare under the current North Korean medical system, the issue considered most urgent was the “establishment of oral healthcare infrastructure.” The most important short-term strategy was identified as the “selection and formation of partnerships in the field of inter-Korean oral health exchange and cooperation.” The mid-term strategy was identified as the “establishment of cooperation in the dental industry, centered on educational cooperation projects.” The long-term strategy included “joint R&D projects, oral health surveys, and business development.” In order to determine how best to use dental hygienists during inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, the respondents placed urgency on the “establishment of joint cooperation projects for oral health promotion and early examination and the treatment of dental diseases and planning of community research projects” and “the role of oral health education and media development for residents.” Conclusion: Cooperation is necessary regarding the preparation of oral healthcare exchanges that aim to encourage unity between North and South Korea and reduce the gaps between the North and South regarding oral health conditions. Therefore, continuous and reasonable discussions and research are needed regarding the utilization of dental hygienists in such exchanges.

Background: Smoking in adolescence leads to an intensified addiction to nicotine when physical and mental growth has not yet been completed. With the advent of e-cigarettes, the rate of e-cigarette use among Korean adolescents has been steadily increasing. To date, studies on e-cigarettes and oral health, especially on the relationship between smoking styles and oral health in adolescents, are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the risk factors for oral health problems caused by the repeated use of conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Methods: This explanatory research study compared the adolescents’ experiences of periodontal disease symptoms according to smoking type through a secondary analysis of the original data from the 15th Adolescent Health Behavior Survey (2019).Cross-analysis was performed to compare the smoking patterns according to the adolescents’ general characteristics. Finally, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine how smoking characteristics affect the adolescents’ experience of periodontal disease symptoms. Results: In terms of patients’ general characteristics, significant differences were observed in sex, school level, grades, household economic status, type of residence, and father’s education level between adolescents who smoked conventional cigarettes alone and those who smoked both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes (p＜0.05). After checking the factors affecting the smoking pattern and the experience of periodontal disease symptoms in adolescents, it was found that the duplicate smoking group was more likely to experience periodontal disease symptoms (odds ratio, 1.20) than the group that smoked conventional cigarettes alone (p＜0.05). Conclusion Duplicate smokers experienced more symptoms of periodontal disease than those who smoked cigarettes alone. Based on the findings of this study, smoking cessation counseling according to the smoking type and differentiated education for oral health promotion should be provided.

Background: Korean dental hygienists perform various tasks under the supervision of dentists in addition to the tasks listed in the law. Many meaningful studies have been conducted to determine the actual tasks of dental hygienists, but these studies did not show common results due to the differences in research methods or designs. Hence, this study aimed to review the reported data on the tasks of dental hygienists in Korea and to clarify them based on a systematic literature review. Methods: For the literature search, the COre, Standard, and Ideal model presented by the National Library of Medicine was referenced. Seven databases were searched for literatures published in Korea, including PubMed, and Google Scholar. Of the 352 studies found using key words, titles, and abstracts, 46 were finally extracted based on the first and second exclusion criteria. After confirming the tasks of Korean dental hygienists in 46 literatures, 136 tasks were listed and calculated as appearance rate in the literature. Results: The most common tasks in 46 studies were fluoride application (67.2%), radiography (65.4%), scaling (65.4%), sealant (60.7%), patient management and counseling (56.7%), tooth-brushing education (52.2%), impression taking with alginate (50.1%), and making temporary crowns (47.9%). The most mentioned tasks of dental hygienists in public health centers were fluoride application (100%), sealant (100%), oral health education (71.4%), public oral health program evaluation (71.4%), school fluoride mouth-rinsing program (71.4%), water fluoridation (57.1%), tooth-brushing education (57.1%), school oral health programs (57.1%), and public elderly oral health programs (57.1%). Conclusion This study showed that Korean dental hygienists had 136 tasks by reviewing 46 related studies and that the main job of Korean dental hygienists was oral disease prevention including scaling, sealant, and fluoride application.

Background: Owing to the increase in the aging population, the health problems of the elderly have become important social problems. Social support has a positive effect on improving the quality of life and prolonging the life of elderly people. It is one of the major factors that affects the oral health status of elderly people. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between oral health status and social support in elderly people using representative data. Methods: In this study, data from a community health survey in 2015 involving 63,929 elderly people aged over 65 years were analyzed. T-test and ANOVA analyses were performed to compare the general characteristics of and perception about social support. Additionally, a linear regression analysis was performed to confirm the relationship between perceptions about social support and subjective oral health status. Results: We found that sex, age, household income, education level, the presence of a spouse, existence of an unmet dental need, and regular oral check-up had a significant effect on subjective oral health status (p＜0.05). In addition, when controlled for all factors, social support has a significant impact on subjective oral health status. Conclusion The findings indicate that social support is associated with the subjective oral health status of Korean elderly. This suggests that community-level or government investment is required to improve the oral health of the elderly. In particular, policy interventions such as the establishment of facilities that promote social networks, especially facilities based on friendship networks, are needed.

Background: Multicultural families are constantly on the rise as marriage migrants and foreign workers increase. Multicultural families appear to record poor health levels compared to native families. As health is a social issue, children of surviving generations of multicultural families are also a growing interest. This study was conducted to confirm the effect of multicultural families and parents’ educational level on the scaling experience of children. Methods: For this study, the 2016∼2018 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey data were used. In order to make the two groups of adolescents belonging to multicultural and native families similar, a total of 5,362 people were included in the survey, consisting of 2,681 individuals each from multicultural and native families using the propensity score matching method. Logistic analysis was performed to identify factors influencing the scaling experience of adolescent children. Results: The results confirm that, even after controlling for factors such as parents’ educational level, household income, and children’s oral health behavior, parents’ nationality appeared to have a statistically significant effect on their children’s scaling experience. In addition, it was confirmed that the experience of oral health education had a significant effect. Conclusion Cultural heterogeneity and the lack of adequate language ability of immigrants affects health behavior and medical accessibility. Therefore, children from multicultural families are more likely to be exposed to unhealthy environments compared to the children of native Korean families. Based on an understanding of the socioeconomic multicultural background of individuals, education and public policy should be prepared to improve the awareness for the need for preventive oral health and provide unhindered accessibility to dental services.

Background: Smartphones are a modern necessity. While they are convenient to use, smartphones also have side effects such as addiction. This study assessed the relationship between smartphone use, a part of everyday life in modern society, and oral health. Methods: An analysis was conducted using 2017 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey data. The propensity score estimation algorithm used logistic regression and 1:1 matching algorithm using nearest-neighbor matching. After matching, a total of 15,032 participants were classified into two groups containing 7,516 teenagers each who did and did not use smartphones, respectively. Results: Comparison of oral health behaviors according to smartphone use revealed a statistically significant difference in the frequency of tooth brushing per day, use of oral hygiene products, intake of foods harmful to oral health, and experience of oral health education (p＜0.05). The factors affecting oral pain experience of adolescents were examined. Compared to male participants, female participants had an odds ratio of 1.627 for oral pain (p＜0.05). According to the household income level, compared to the group with higher income, the group with lower income showed higher oral pain experience (p＜0.05). Oral pain experience was 1.601 times more frequent among teenagers using smartphones (p＜0.05). Conclusion The results of this study indicated that use of smartphones by adolescents affected their oral health. These findings indicate the need for improved oral health management through the use of effective school oral health programs and individual counseling by oral health professionals, promotion of information dissemination through public media, and development of prevention strategies.

The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate the cytotoxicity of 3 calcium silicate-based materials (CSMs) on stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs). The powder of Retro MTA® (RM), EZ-Seal™ (EZ) and ENDOCEM Zr® (EN) was eluted with SHED culture media and then filtered. The SHEDs were cultured in the presence of the various concentrations of the eluate. To investigate the effect of the 3 CSMs on SHED proliferation, the MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay was performed. Flow cytometry analysis was also performed to identify any changes in the cellular phenotype. The absorbance values of the SHEDs cultured in the eluate of samples at a 10% concentration showed the following relation: RM > EN > EZ (p = 0.0439). However, the SHEDs maintained their mesenchymal phenotype regardless of product exposure. Although the 3 CSMs did not alter the SHED stem cell markers, EZ may be a less cytocompatible than RM and EN.
Calcium ; Culture Media ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Stem Cells ; Tooth, Deciduous