Prosthodontic treatment is being performed for morphology and functional restoration due to damage and loss of teeth. As the aesthetic demands of patients increase, interest in ceramic materials with shades and translucency similar to natural teeth has increased.Recently, the manufacturing and processing technology of ceramic materials has greatly improved, and the market for dental ceramic materials is growing rapidly. The purpose of this literature review and evaluation is to provide information on the classification and properties of dental ceramic materials with excellent aesthetics and fracture resistance. In this article, it is classified as follows: I) Dental porcelain; II) Sinterable all-ceramic; III) Glass-ceramic for casting; IV) Glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic; V) Glass-ceramic ingots for heat-pressing technique; Vl) Blocks for CAD/CAM; Vll) Ceramic for CAD/3D printing. Dental ceramic materials and their restoration manufacturing methods have evolved significantly over the past decade. As a result, the manufacturing method of restorations has progressed from the layered firing technique of powdered materials or heat-pressing technique to the cutting and processing of single and multi-layer blocks using CAD/CAM technology, leading to the introduction of CAD/3D printing technology. In this manuscript, we will review the types of ceramic materials used in the fabrication of dental restorations and their advantages and disadvantages.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term cumulative survival rate (CSR) of dental implants with micro-threads in the neck over a 10-year follow-up period and to examine the factors influencing the survival rate of dental implants. Methods: This retrospective study was based on radiographic and dental records. In total, 151 patients received 490 Oneplant ® dental implants with an implant neck micro-thread design during 2006–2010 in the Department of Periodontology of Seoul National University Dental Hospital. Implant survival was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing implant failure. Results: Ten out of 490 implants (2.04%) failed due to fixture fracture. The CSR of the implants was 97.9%, and no significant difference was observed in the CSR between externaland internal-implant types (98.2% and 97.6%, respectively,P=0.670). In Cox regression analysis, 2-stage surgery significantly increased the risk of implant failure (hazard ratio: 4.769, P=0.039). There were no significant differences in influencing factors, including sex, age, implant diameter, length, fixture type, location, surgical procedure, bone grafting, and restoration type. Conclusions Within the limitations of this retrospective study, the micro-thread design of the implant neck was found to be favorable for implant survival, with stable clinical outcomes.

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.

Objective: The Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease–Cognition (SCOPA-Cog) was developed to assess cognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the SCOPACog (K-SCOPA-Cog). Methods: We enrolled 129 PD patients with movement disorders from 31 clinics in South Korea. The original version of the SCOPA-Cog was translated into Korean using the translation-retranslation method. The test–retest method with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used to assess reliability. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean version (MOCA-K) and the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) were used to assess concurrent validity. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.797, and the ICC was 0.887. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation with the K-MMSE and MOCA-K scores (r = 0.546 and r = 0.683, respectively). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the K-SCOPA-Cog has good reliability and validity.

Objective: To investigate the effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment on lipid profiles and identify risk factors for an increase in total cholesterol (TC) after the anti-TNF treatment in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed AS patients who received the first-line anti-TNF treatment. Patients with at least nine months of follow-up were included; those who were under 18 years or on any lipid-lowering agent were excluded. A linear mixed model was used to assess the impact of anti-TNF inhibitors on disease activity and lipid profile (TC, low-density lipoprotein [LDL], high-density lipoprotein [HDL], and triglycerides [TG]). Univariable and multivariable linear regression were used to identify risk factors for an increase in TC after 3 months of anti-TNF treatment. Results: A total of 315 AS patients were enrolled (78.1% male, median age 32.0 [26.0~41.0]). TC, HDL, and TG levels significantly increased particularly within the first 3 months of anti-TNF treatment, while LDL level did not show significant changes.Changes in inflammatory markers and lipid particles (TC, LDL, TG) were correlated over time, but HDL showed no significant correlation. Older age, higher baseline erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and lower baseline LDL level were related to an increase in TC after 3 months of the anti-TNF treatment. Conclusion In AS patients, anti-TNF treatment has been found to increase lipid particles, potentially due to its anti-inflammatory effects. Future research should explore the underlying mechanism and the clinical implications of dyslipidemia, particularly the occurrence of cardiovascular events, following anti-TNF treatment in AS patients.

Purpose: Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently coexist, with over 50% patients with HF having AF, while onethird of those with AF develop HF. Differences in obesity-mediated association between HF and HF-related AF among Asians and Europeans were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening (K-NHIS-HealS) cohort and the UK Biobank, we included 394801 Korean and 476883 UK adults, respectively aged 40–70 years. The incidence and risk of HF were evaluated based on body mass index (BMI). Results: The proportion of obese individuals was significantly higher in the UK Biobank cohort than in the K-NHIS-HealS cohort (24.2% vs. 2.7%, p<0.001). The incidence of HF and HF-related AF was higher among the obese in the UK than in Korea. The risk of HF was higher among the British than in Koreans, with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.82 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.30–2.55] in KNHIS-HealS and 2.00 (95% CI, 1.69–2.37) in UK Biobank in obese participants (p for interaction <0.001). A 5-unit increase in BMI was associated with a 44% greater risk of HF-related AF in the UK Biobank cohort (p<0.001) but not in the K-NHIS-HealS cohort (p=0.277). Conclusion Obesity was associated with an increased risk of HF and HF-related AF in both Korean and UK populations. The higher incidence in the UK population was likely due to the higher proportion of obese individuals.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in Korea and the world. Since 2004, this is the 4th gastric cancer guideline published in Korea which is the revised version of previous evidence-based approach in 2018. Current guideline is a collaborative work of the interdisciplinary working group including experts in the field of gastric surgery, gastroenterology, endoscopy, medical oncology, abdominal radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology and guideline development methodology. Total of 33 key questions were updated or proposed after a collaborative review by the working group and 40 statements were developed according to the systematic review using the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and KoreaMed database. The level of evidence and the grading of recommendations were categorized according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation proposition. Evidence level, benefit, harm, and clinical applicability was considered as the significant factors for recommendation. The working group reviewed recommendations and discussed for consensus. In the earlier part, general consideration discusses screening, diagnosis and staging of endoscopy, pathology, radiology, and nuclear medicine. Flowchart is depicted with statements which is supported by meta-analysis and references. Since clinical trial and systematic review was not suitable for postoperative oncologic and nutritional follow-up, working group agreed to conduct a nationwide survey investigating the clinical practice of all tertiary or general hospitals in Korea. The purpose of this survey was to provide baseline information on follow up. Herein we present a multidisciplinary-evidence based gastric cancer guideline.

Objective: Following the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the importance of addressing acute stress induced by psychological burdens of diseases became apparent. This study attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of a new mode of psychiatric intervention designed to target similar psychological crises. Methods: Participants included 32 out of 114 COVID inpatients at a hospital in Daegu, Korea, who were assessed between March 30 and April 7, 2020. Multiple scales for screening psychological difficulties such as depressed mood, anxiety, insomnia, acute stress, and suicidality were done. Psychological problem evaluations and interventions were conducted in the form of consultations to alleviate participants’ psychological challenges via telepsychiatry. The interventions’ effects, as well as clinical improvements before and after the intervention, were analyzed. Results: As a result of screening, 21 patients were experiencing psychological difficulties beyond clinical thresholds after COVID-19 infection (screening positive group). The remaining 11 were screening negative groups. The two groups differed significantly in past psychiatric histories (p=0.034), with the former having a higher number of diagnoses. The effect of the intervention was analyzed, and clinical improvement before and after the intervention was observed. Our intervention was found to be effective in reducing the overall emotional difficulties. Conclusion This study highlighted the usefulness of new interventions required in the context of healthcare following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background/Aims: Few studies have investigated the long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (EGC) in very elderly patients. The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate treatment strategy and identify the risk factors for mortality in these patients. Methods: Patients with EGC who underwent endoscopic resection from 2006 to 2017 were iden-tified using National Health Insurance Data and divided into three age groups: very elderly (≥85 years), elderly (65 to 84 years), and non-elderly (≤64 years). Their long- and short-term outcomes were compared in the three age groups, and the survival in the groups was compared with that in the control group, matched by age and sex. We also evaluated the risk factors for long- and short-term outcomes. Results: A total of 8,426 patients were included in our study: 118 very elderly, 4,583 elderly, and 3,725 non-elderly. The overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates were significantly lower in the very elderly group than in the elderly and the non-elderly groups. Congestive heart failure was negatively associated with cancer-specific survival. A significantly decreased risk for mortality was observed in all groups (p<0.001). The very elderly group had significantly higher readmission and mortality rates within 3 months of endoscopic resection than the non-elderly and elderly groups. Furthermore, the cerebrovascular disease was associated with mortality within 3 months after endoscopic resection. Conclusions Endoscopic resection for EGC can be helpful for very elderly patients, and it may play a role in achieving overall survival comparable to that of the control group.