Background: Active surveillance (AS) has emerged as a viable management strategy for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), following pioneering trials at Kuma Hospital and the Cancer Institute Hospital in Japan. Numerous prospective cohort studies have since validated AS as a management option for low-risk PTMC, leading to its inclusion in thyroid cancer guidelines across various countries. From 2016 to 2020, the Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Active Surveillance on Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (MAeSTro) enrolled 1,177 patients, providing comprehensive data on PTMC progression, sonographic predictors of progression, quality of life, surgical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness when comparing AS to immediate surgery. The second phase of MAeSTro (MAeSTro-EXP) expands AS to low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tumors larger than 1 cm, driven by the hypothesis that overall risk assessment outweighs absolute tumor size in surgical decision-making. Methods: This protocol aims to address whether limiting AS to tumors smaller than 1 cm may result in unnecessary surgeries for low-risk PTCs detected during their rapid initial growth phase. By expanding the AS criteria to include tumors up to 1.5 cm, while simultaneously refining and standardizing the criteria for risk assessment and disease progression, we aim to minimize overtreatment and maintain rigorous monitoring to improve patient outcomes. Conclusion This study will contribute to optimizing AS guidelines and enhance our understanding of the natural course and appropriate management of low-risk PTCs. Additionally, MAeSTro-EXP involves a multinational collaboration between South Korea and Australia. This cross-country study aims to identify cultural and racial differences in the management of low-risk PTC, thereby enriching the global understanding of AS practices and their applicability across diverse populations.

Background: Active surveillance (AS) has emerged as a viable management strategy for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), following pioneering trials at Kuma Hospital and the Cancer Institute Hospital in Japan. Numerous prospective cohort studies have since validated AS as a management option for low-risk PTMC, leading to its inclusion in thyroid cancer guidelines across various countries. From 2016 to 2020, the Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Active Surveillance on Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (MAeSTro) enrolled 1,177 patients, providing comprehensive data on PTMC progression, sonographic predictors of progression, quality of life, surgical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness when comparing AS to immediate surgery. The second phase of MAeSTro (MAeSTro-EXP) expands AS to low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tumors larger than 1 cm, driven by the hypothesis that overall risk assessment outweighs absolute tumor size in surgical decision-making. Methods: This protocol aims to address whether limiting AS to tumors smaller than 1 cm may result in unnecessary surgeries for low-risk PTCs detected during their rapid initial growth phase. By expanding the AS criteria to include tumors up to 1.5 cm, while simultaneously refining and standardizing the criteria for risk assessment and disease progression, we aim to minimize overtreatment and maintain rigorous monitoring to improve patient outcomes. Conclusion This study will contribute to optimizing AS guidelines and enhance our understanding of the natural course and appropriate management of low-risk PTCs. Additionally, MAeSTro-EXP involves a multinational collaboration between South Korea and Australia. This cross-country study aims to identify cultural and racial differences in the management of low-risk PTC, thereby enriching the global understanding of AS practices and their applicability across diverse populations.

Background: Active surveillance (AS) has emerged as a viable management strategy for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), following pioneering trials at Kuma Hospital and the Cancer Institute Hospital in Japan. Numerous prospective cohort studies have since validated AS as a management option for low-risk PTMC, leading to its inclusion in thyroid cancer guidelines across various countries. From 2016 to 2020, the Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Active Surveillance on Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (MAeSTro) enrolled 1,177 patients, providing comprehensive data on PTMC progression, sonographic predictors of progression, quality of life, surgical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness when comparing AS to immediate surgery. The second phase of MAeSTro (MAeSTro-EXP) expands AS to low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tumors larger than 1 cm, driven by the hypothesis that overall risk assessment outweighs absolute tumor size in surgical decision-making. Methods: This protocol aims to address whether limiting AS to tumors smaller than 1 cm may result in unnecessary surgeries for low-risk PTCs detected during their rapid initial growth phase. By expanding the AS criteria to include tumors up to 1.5 cm, while simultaneously refining and standardizing the criteria for risk assessment and disease progression, we aim to minimize overtreatment and maintain rigorous monitoring to improve patient outcomes. Conclusion This study will contribute to optimizing AS guidelines and enhance our understanding of the natural course and appropriate management of low-risk PTCs. Additionally, MAeSTro-EXP involves a multinational collaboration between South Korea and Australia. This cross-country study aims to identify cultural and racial differences in the management of low-risk PTC, thereby enriching the global understanding of AS practices and their applicability across diverse populations.

Background: Active surveillance (AS) has emerged as a viable management strategy for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), following pioneering trials at Kuma Hospital and the Cancer Institute Hospital in Japan. Numerous prospective cohort studies have since validated AS as a management option for low-risk PTMC, leading to its inclusion in thyroid cancer guidelines across various countries. From 2016 to 2020, the Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Active Surveillance on Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (MAeSTro) enrolled 1,177 patients, providing comprehensive data on PTMC progression, sonographic predictors of progression, quality of life, surgical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness when comparing AS to immediate surgery. The second phase of MAeSTro (MAeSTro-EXP) expands AS to low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tumors larger than 1 cm, driven by the hypothesis that overall risk assessment outweighs absolute tumor size in surgical decision-making. Methods: This protocol aims to address whether limiting AS to tumors smaller than 1 cm may result in unnecessary surgeries for low-risk PTCs detected during their rapid initial growth phase. By expanding the AS criteria to include tumors up to 1.5 cm, while simultaneously refining and standardizing the criteria for risk assessment and disease progression, we aim to minimize overtreatment and maintain rigorous monitoring to improve patient outcomes. Conclusion This study will contribute to optimizing AS guidelines and enhance our understanding of the natural course and appropriate management of low-risk PTCs. Additionally, MAeSTro-EXP involves a multinational collaboration between South Korea and Australia. This cross-country study aims to identify cultural and racial differences in the management of low-risk PTC, thereby enriching the global understanding of AS practices and their applicability across diverse populations.

The restoration process for patients with collapsed occlusion or those requiring extensive rehabilitation often involves various trials and errors. Accurately transferring the patient’s oral information to the articulator is key to producing esthetically pleasing and stable prostheses. This necessitates precise master model fabrication and accurate jaw relation records. For patients undergoing extensive implant-supported fixed prostheses, several techniques for recording the jaw relationship are available, including the use of record bases with wax rims, bite blocks with temporary abutments and pattern resin, or provisional prostheses.Among these, using provisional prostheses directly for mounting on the master model can help minimize errors during the jaw relation recording phase. The patient in this case was a 55-year-old female patient, who presented for implant-supported fixed prosthetic rehabilitation. She exhibited multiple tooth loss due to periodontal disease, necessitating comprehensive mouth rehabilitation involving extractions and implant placements. After evaluating esthetics and occlusion with provisional prostheses, the same provisional prostheses were used for mounting on the master model, which enabled the fabrication of customized implant abutments and zirconia prostheses. The final result was a successful restoration, both esthetically and functionally.

The restoration process for patients with collapsed occlusion or those requiring extensive rehabilitation often involves various trials and errors. Accurately transferring the patient’s oral information to the articulator is key to producing esthetically pleasing and stable prostheses. This necessitates precise master model fabrication and accurate jaw relation records. For patients undergoing extensive implant-supported fixed prostheses, several techniques for recording the jaw relationship are available, including the use of record bases with wax rims, bite blocks with temporary abutments and pattern resin, or provisional prostheses.Among these, using provisional prostheses directly for mounting on the master model can help minimize errors during the jaw relation recording phase. The patient in this case was a 55-year-old female patient, who presented for implant-supported fixed prosthetic rehabilitation. She exhibited multiple tooth loss due to periodontal disease, necessitating comprehensive mouth rehabilitation involving extractions and implant placements. After evaluating esthetics and occlusion with provisional prostheses, the same provisional prostheses were used for mounting on the master model, which enabled the fabrication of customized implant abutments and zirconia prostheses. The final result was a successful restoration, both esthetically and functionally.

Background: A decline in masticatory function may indicate brain dysfunction related to dementia, but the relationship between masticatory function and dementia risk remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether masticatory function is associated with the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Methods: Data were obtained from the nationwide prospective cohort study of randomly sampled community-dwelling Koreans aged ≥ 60 years. The 5,064 non-demented participants, whose number of chewing cycles per bite was assessed by clinical interview, were followed for 8 years with biennial assessments of cognitive performance and clinical diagnoses of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Structural brain magnetic resonance imaging was collected from a subset of cohort participants and their spouses for imaging analyses. Results: Males who chewed ≥ 30 cycles/bite had faster decline in global cognition and memory function and were at higher risk for incident all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 2.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18–7.18) and AD (HR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.14–9.11) compared to males with less than 10 cycles/bite. Additionally, increased chewing cycles in males were associated with reduced brain volume, particularly in regions involved in compensatory cognitive control of mastication. There was no significant association between chewing cycles and the risk of dementia or brain volume in females. Conclusion Older men who frequently chew their meals could be considered a notable population at risk for dementia who should be carefully assessed for their cognitive trajectories.

The restoration process for patients with collapsed occlusion or those requiring extensive rehabilitation often involves various trials and errors. Accurately transferring the patient’s oral information to the articulator is key to producing esthetically pleasing and stable prostheses. This necessitates precise master model fabrication and accurate jaw relation records. For patients undergoing extensive implant-supported fixed prostheses, several techniques for recording the jaw relationship are available, including the use of record bases with wax rims, bite blocks with temporary abutments and pattern resin, or provisional prostheses.Among these, using provisional prostheses directly for mounting on the master model can help minimize errors during the jaw relation recording phase. The patient in this case was a 55-year-old female patient, who presented for implant-supported fixed prosthetic rehabilitation. She exhibited multiple tooth loss due to periodontal disease, necessitating comprehensive mouth rehabilitation involving extractions and implant placements. After evaluating esthetics and occlusion with provisional prostheses, the same provisional prostheses were used for mounting on the master model, which enabled the fabrication of customized implant abutments and zirconia prostheses. The final result was a successful restoration, both esthetically and functionally.

The restoration process for patients with collapsed occlusion or those requiring extensive rehabilitation often involves various trials and errors. Accurately transferring the patient’s oral information to the articulator is key to producing esthetically pleasing and stable prostheses. This necessitates precise master model fabrication and accurate jaw relation records. For patients undergoing extensive implant-supported fixed prostheses, several techniques for recording the jaw relationship are available, including the use of record bases with wax rims, bite blocks with temporary abutments and pattern resin, or provisional prostheses.Among these, using provisional prostheses directly for mounting on the master model can help minimize errors during the jaw relation recording phase. The patient in this case was a 55-year-old female patient, who presented for implant-supported fixed prosthetic rehabilitation. She exhibited multiple tooth loss due to periodontal disease, necessitating comprehensive mouth rehabilitation involving extractions and implant placements. After evaluating esthetics and occlusion with provisional prostheses, the same provisional prostheses were used for mounting on the master model, which enabled the fabrication of customized implant abutments and zirconia prostheses. The final result was a successful restoration, both esthetically and functionally.

The restoration process for patients with collapsed occlusion or those requiring extensive rehabilitation often involves various trials and errors. Accurately transferring the patient’s oral information to the articulator is key to producing esthetically pleasing and stable prostheses. This necessitates precise master model fabrication and accurate jaw relation records. For patients undergoing extensive implant-supported fixed prostheses, several techniques for recording the jaw relationship are available, including the use of record bases with wax rims, bite blocks with temporary abutments and pattern resin, or provisional prostheses.Among these, using provisional prostheses directly for mounting on the master model can help minimize errors during the jaw relation recording phase. The patient in this case was a 55-year-old female patient, who presented for implant-supported fixed prosthetic rehabilitation. She exhibited multiple tooth loss due to periodontal disease, necessitating comprehensive mouth rehabilitation involving extractions and implant placements. After evaluating esthetics and occlusion with provisional prostheses, the same provisional prostheses were used for mounting on the master model, which enabled the fabrication of customized implant abutments and zirconia prostheses. The final result was a successful restoration, both esthetically and functionally.