Background: This study compared the performance of different versions of generative artificial intelligence (AI) using items fromthe National Examination for Dental Hygienists and evaluated the potential and limitations of ChatGPT as a learning support tool in dental hygiene education. Methods: A total of 200 items from the 2021 National Examination for Dental Hygienists were analyzed. For ChatGPT-4 andChatGPT-4o, both Korean and English versions of the items were entered to calculate accuracy. Problem-solving items were also converted into open-ended questions to assess response accuracy and classify error types. Results: ChatGPT-4o demonstrated higher overall accuracy than ChatGPT-4, with accuracy exceeding 75% for Korean items.Accuracy for English items was lower, with a notable decline in the Medical Law and Regulations domain. Although ChatGPT-4o showed improved performance on open-ended problem-solving items, several responses still contained logical and informational errors. Conclusion Accuracy improved with newer ChatGPT model versions, particularly for recall-oriented items, although substantialperformance differences remained between Korean and English inputs. Persistent logical errors in problem-solving items indicate limited suitability for tasks requiring clinical judgment. These findings highlight the need for students to critically evaluate AI-generated responses and for educators to remain attentive to the rapid evolution of generative AI to ensure its appropriate, continuously updated use in dental hygiene education.

Background: This study aimed to assess the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) based on oral health-relatedbehaviors and oral health status among older adults in Gangneung-si. Methods: A total of 77 adults aged 65 years or older in Gangneung-si who voluntarily participated in an oral health care programwere included. GOHAI was administered as a self-reported questionnaire to evaluate oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).GOHAI consists of 12 items rated on a six-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating better oral health and higher QoL.Assessment items included general characteristics, systemic disease, oral health-related behaviors, and tooth and periodontal status. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to assess normality prior to comparing GOHAI scores across independent variables.Depending on normality results, differences in mean scores were analyzed using the independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, or the Mann–Whitney U test. Results: The highest-scoring item was “Did your teeth or dentures bother you when you wanted to speak?”, whereas the lowest-scoring item was “Were you pleased or happy looking at your teeth, gums, or dentures?” A significant difference was observed according to the number of remaining teeth; participants with 20 or more teeth had higher GOHAI scores (41.86±5.22) than those with 19 or fewer teeth (38.33±3.83; p=0.046). Conclusion Significant differences in GOHAI scores were found in relation to systemic disease and the number of remaining teeth.These findings can support the development of strategies and policies to improve OHRQoL in older adults in Gangneung-si.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome and tooth loss among adults aged 19years and older using data from the nationally representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: A total of 49,468 adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the 2007∼2018 KNHANES were included in the final analysis. Chi-square tests were conducted to examine tooth loss according to sociodemographic factors and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors influencing tooth loss. Results: Sociodemographic factors and components of metabolic syndrome were identified as potential risk factors for tooth loss.The prevalence of tooth loss was higher among individuals in older age groups, those with lower educational and income levels, those engaged in agricultural or fishery-related occupations, and those residing in rural areas (p＜0.001). Adults with metabolic syndrome exhibited a relatively higher prevalence of tooth loss (p＜0.001), with a 1.19-fold increased likelihood of tooth loss compared to those without metabolic syndrome (p＜0.001). Conclusion Efforts are needed to develop oral health education programs and integrate systemic health management strategiesaimed at improving oral health among adults with metabolic syndrome.

Background: The population of Gangneung City in South Korea has shown a gradual increase in the proportion of individuals aged 65 years and older, and the most frequently reported diseases for several years have consistently been periodontal diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis. The regional imbalance in the distribution of dental personnel and resources has emerged as a problem of inequality in the use of dental care. It has been advocated to identify areas with disadvantages in dental care and develop public dental policies based on that. This study aimed to develop a customized oral healthcare program for local seniors based on a Public-Private-Academic Partnership, and to evaluate the oral health status of older adults in Gangneung City. Methods: The participants were residents aged 60 years and above in Gangneung City. A questionnaire including general information, systemic health status, and oral health status was administered to the participants. In addition, oral healthcare and education tailored to each individual’s health status were provided once or twice based on their oral health status. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 for descriptive statistical analysis. Results: Among the older adults in Gangneung City, 75% had at least one prosthesis and exhibited symptoms of gingivitis or periodontitis. Additionally, the modified sulcus bleeding index decreased among participants who underwent the program twice.Over 90% of the participants expressed satisfaction with the program. Conclusion The program appeared to contribute positively to the oral health promotion among local seniors. Further oral healthcare programs should focus on seniors in rural and old urban areas to reduce disparities in oral health across regions.

Background: To train dental hygienists to utilize knowledge in practice, an integrated curriculum based on the competencies of dental hygienists is expanding; however, in the field of basic dental hygiene the curriculum is still fragmented and based on segmented knowledge. This study developed an integrated curriculum based on the competencies of dental hygienists in Anatomy, Histology & Embryology, Physiology, which are subjects for basic dental hygiene that have high linkage and overlap. Methods: After selecting the learning objectives for the integrated curriculum from those of Anatomy, Histology & Embryology, Physiology, the duties of the dental hygienist in relation to the learning objectives were analyzed. Learning objectives were combined with the duties of a dental hygienist to derive competencies for an integrated curriculum. Referring to the syllabus and learning objectives for each subject, the weekly educational content, learning objectives, and credits of the integrated curriculum were derived. After conducting a Delphi survey to validate the competency and content of the derived integrated curriculum, an integrated curriculum was developed. Results: By using the first and second Delphi surveys, four competencies were developed for dental hygienists that can be achieved through an integrated basic dental hygiene curriculum. In addition, an integrated curriculum including the courses Anatomy, Histology & Embryology, Physiology, Structure and Function of the Human Body/Head/Neck, and Structure and Function of the Oral Cavity was established. Conclusion This study presents a specific example for developing a competency-based integrated curriculum that can be used as a framework to derive a competency-based integrated curriculum among subjects that can be integrated according to the linkage of learning contents and the competencies that can be achieved.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate ChatGPT’s performance accuracy in responding to questions from the national dentalhygienist examination. Moreover, through an analysis of ChatGPT’s incorrect responses, this research intended to pinpoint the predominant types of errors. Methods: To evaluate ChatGPT-3.5’s performance according to the type of national examination questions, the researchers classified 200 questions of the 49th National Dental Hygienist Examination into recall, interpretation, and solving type questions. The researchers strategically modified the questions to counteract potential misunderstandings from implied meanings or technical terminology in Korea. To assess ChatGPT-3.5’s problem-solving capabilities in applying previously acquired knowledge, the questions were first converted to subjective type. If ChatGPT-3.5 generated an incorrect response, an original multiple-choice framework was provided again. Two hundred questions were input into ChatGPT-3.5 and the generated responses were analyzed.After using ChatGPT, the accuracy of each response was evaluated by researchers according to the types of questions, and the types of incorrect responses were categorized (logical, information, and statistical errors). Finally, hallucination was evaluated when ChatGPT provided misleading information by answering something that was not true as if it were true. Results: ChatGPT’s responses to the national examination were 45.5% accurate. Accuracy by question type was 60.3% for recall and 13.0% for problem-solving type questions. The accuracy rate for the subjective solving questions was 13.0%, while the accuracy for the objective questions increased to 43.5%. The most common types of incorrect responses were logical errors 65.1% of all. Of the total 102 incorrectly answered questions, 100 were categorized as hallucinations. Conclusion ChatGPT-3.5 was found to be limited in its ability to provide evidence-based correct responses to the Korean nationaldental hygiene examination. Therefore, dental hygienists in the education or clinical fields should be careful to use artificial intelligence-generated materials with a critical view.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome and tooth loss among adults aged 19years and older using data from the nationally representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: A total of 49,468 adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the 2007∼2018 KNHANES were included in the final analysis. Chi-square tests were conducted to examine tooth loss according to sociodemographic factors and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors influencing tooth loss. Results: Sociodemographic factors and components of metabolic syndrome were identified as potential risk factors for tooth loss.The prevalence of tooth loss was higher among individuals in older age groups, those with lower educational and income levels, those engaged in agricultural or fishery-related occupations, and those residing in rural areas (p＜0.001). Adults with metabolic syndrome exhibited a relatively higher prevalence of tooth loss (p＜0.001), with a 1.19-fold increased likelihood of tooth loss compared to those without metabolic syndrome (p＜0.001). Conclusion Efforts are needed to develop oral health education programs and integrate systemic health management strategiesaimed at improving oral health among adults with metabolic syndrome.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between metabolic syndrome and tooth loss among adults aged 19years and older using data from the nationally representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: A total of 49,468 adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the 2007∼2018 KNHANES were included in the final analysis. Chi-square tests were conducted to examine tooth loss according to sociodemographic factors and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors influencing tooth loss. Results: Sociodemographic factors and components of metabolic syndrome were identified as potential risk factors for tooth loss.The prevalence of tooth loss was higher among individuals in older age groups, those with lower educational and income levels, those engaged in agricultural or fishery-related occupations, and those residing in rural areas (p＜0.001). Adults with metabolic syndrome exhibited a relatively higher prevalence of tooth loss (p＜0.001), with a 1.19-fold increased likelihood of tooth loss compared to those without metabolic syndrome (p＜0.001). Conclusion Efforts are needed to develop oral health education programs and integrate systemic health management strategiesaimed at improving oral health among adults with metabolic syndrome.

Background: This study investigated the awareness and utilization of maternity protection and work-family balance supportpolicies among dental hygienists in dental hospitals and clinics. Methods: We surveyed 200 dental hygienists. Twenty-two who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded, leaving 178participants for analysis. The self-administered 48-item questionnaire gathered information on demographics, workplace details, policy awareness, government knowledge, and suggestions for improvement. Results: Awareness of maternity and family support programs significantly differed with age, marital status, number of children,and clinical experience. Dental hygienists in general hospitals and university hospitals reported greater ease of utilizing these policies compared to those in dental clinics. Among the participants, 27.7% took pre- and post-maternity leave, 26.6% took parental leave, 16.9% had reduced working hours during pregnancy, 15.8% had reduced working hours during childhood,and 8.5% during family leave. To promote program uptake, participants suggested mandatory implementation across workplaces (68.4%), expanded support for substitute workers (48.6%), and increased education and promotion of government support (42.4%). Conclusion While most dental hygienists were aware of the Maternity Protection and Work-Family Balance Assistance Policy,utilizing it proved challenging due to several factors. Organizational policies or practices may not fully implement this policy, while workplace culture could discourage its use. Unfair treatment and the lack of available substitutes further hindered access. To prevent career interruptions for dental hygienists due to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, and family care, and to maintain career continuity, the dental community and government should establish a multifaceted social support system. This system should prioritize several key areas: strengthening policy promotion, fostering a family-friendly atmosphere, improving management and supervision of policy implementation and developing a robust support system for substitute personnel.

Background: To promote and maintain oral health among adults, the relationship between oral health and obesity was examined, and the effects of oral health on obesity were investigated. Methods: A total of 4,270 Korean adults aged ≥20 years were selected as study subjects using raw data from the first year (2019) of the eighth period of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Complex sample Rao–Scott chi-square test and complex sample logistic regression analysis were performed using PASW Statistics ver. 18.0. Results: The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 1.3 times higher subjects with poor oral health than in those with good perceived oral health and 1.3 times higher in subjects who did not receive dental checkups compared to those that did. The frequency of brushing of teeth was 1.2 times higher for subjects who reported brushing 2∼3 times per day compared to those who reported brushing four or more times per day. The risk of being overweight was 1.3 times higher in subjects with one or more dental implants than in those with none. Conclusion To build an integrated health program, it is thought that a preventive approach through self and expert oral health care, considering the age-specific characteristics of adults, is necessary for the intervention process used to build customized obesity prevention projects at the national level.