Background: Though antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 ) is widely used for fetal neuroprotection, suspicions about the long-term neuroprotection of antenatal MgSO4 have been raised. Methods: We investigated short- and long-term outcomes of antenatal MgSO4 use for 468 infants weighing < 1,500 g with a gestational age of 24–31 weeks. Results: Short-term morbidities and the risk of developmental delay, hearing loss, and cerebral palsy at a corrected age of 18–24 months and 3 years of age did not decrease in the MgSO4 group (infants who were exposed to MgSO4 for any purpose) or neuroprotection group (infants who were exposed to MgSO4 for fetal neuroprotection) compared with the control group (infants who were not exposed to MgSO4 ). The z-scores of weight, height, and head circumference did not increase in the MgSO4 group or neuroprotection group compared with the control group. Conclusion Antenatal MgSO4 including MgSO4 for neuroprotection did not have beneficial effects on long-term neurodevelopmental and growth outcomes.

Objectives: Ewha Womans University launched an on-campus Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) response system called Ewha Safety Campus (ESC) Project in collaboration with the Seegene Inc. RTPCR diagnostic tests for COVID-19 were proactively provided to the participants. This study examines the effectiveness of the on-campus testing strategy in controlling the reproduction number (Rt ) and identifying student groups vulnerable to infection. Methods: The ESC project was launched on March 2, 2022, with a pilot period from Feb 22 to March 1, 2022—the peak of the Omicron variant wave. We collected daily data on the RT-PCR test results of the students of Ewha Womans University from Mar 2 to Apr 30, 2022. We daily calculated Rt and compared it with that of the general population of Korea (women, people aged 20–29 years, and Seoul residents). We also examined the students vulnerable to the infection based on the group-specific Rt and positivity rate. Results: A lower Rt was observed about 2 weeks after the implementation of the ESC Project than that of the general population. The lower Rt persisted during the entire study period. Dormitory residents had a higher Rt . The positivity rate was higher in students who did not comply with quarantine guidelines and did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. Conclusion The study provides scientific evidence for the effectiveness of the on-campus testing strategy and different infection vulnerabilities of students, depending on dormitory residence, compliance with the quarantine guidelines, and vaccination.

In response to the changes in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic situation, Ewha Womans University established Ewha Safe Campus (ESC), an on-campus infection outbreak management system, to allow students and faculty members to safely resume face-to face classes in 2022. The COVID-19 testing station, Ewha Safe Station, is the core element of ESC. Symptomatic students and faculty members perform a combo swab self-PCR test or receive a nasopharyngeal swab PCR test from experts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through early detection and management. ESC is significant in that it detects infection risks and proactively implements preemptive measures in a university. The COVID-19 health response system model at the university level was applied for the first time in South Korea, reaching a milestone in the history of university health in South Korea. In particular, it is highly valuable that the test was free of charge, as it enabled all of the examinees to have easy access to the test through joint cooperation with the Seegene Medical Foundation. This is a successful example of cooperation between schools and private institutions for public health improvement. In the future, the direct and indirect effects of the establishment and implementation of ESC need to be evaluated and confirmed, and areas requiring improvements need to be identified in preparation for another infectious disease outbreak in the future.

The first permanent molars play a key role in maxillofacial development and occlusion. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics and development stages of first molars with delayed eruption, and to evaluate their associations with congenital missing teeth. Eight-year-old patients who had delayed eruption in their first molars were classified into 75 patients with physical barriers and 77 patients without physical barriers. The development stages of the first and second molars in the delayed area were analyzed using Nolla method from the panoramic radiographs. The relationship between congenital missing teeth and delayed area was also investigated. Delayed eruption of first molars were more common in the maxilla alone. With the presence of physical barriers, male patients showed higher frequency in unilateral cases, while female patients had higher bilateral cases when there was no physical barrier. Delayed development of first molars were observed in delayed eruption area. In the absence of physical barriers, adjacent second molars were also developed slowly and the incidence of congenital missing teeth was high in delayed area. If first molars with delayed eruption are observed, clinical and radiographical follow-ups are necessary for the evaluation of their developmental stages and congenital missing teeth.

This study aimed to investigate a quantitative analysis of the anatomical characteristics of the maxillary supernumerary lateral incisor and its relationship with lateral incisors. Forty-four supernumerary lateral incisors from 43 patients were evaluated for analyzing the position, shape, direction, and relationship between the supernumerary lateral incisor and the normal lateral incisors, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). To compare the size of crown, the mesiodistal width was measured and the Nolla stage was used for evaluating the degree of root development to compare tooth maturity. The supernumerary lateral incisors were in the normal direction at a rate of 90.9%, and in a supplemental shape at a rate of 84.1%. The supernumerary lateral incisor was smaller in size compared to the adjacent lateral incisor and opposite lateral incisor (p < .0001). There was no statistically significant difference in the development stage of root. Based on these results, the supernumerary lateral incisor is similar with the lateral incisor, but has a difference in the size of crown. It is necessary to distinguish the supernumerary lateral incisor from the lateral incisor precisely to reduce clinical complications.

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare congenital anomalies characterized by direct communication between arteries and veins that bypass the capillary bed. AVMs may not manifest clinically until late infancy or childhood. In particular, facial AVMs can cause urgent life-threatening dental events. A 5-year-old girl without a medical history visited the hospital because of spontaneous gingival bleeding around the posterior gingival area of the lower left 2nd primary molar.
Angiography through the femoral approach under general anesthesia was performed for differential diagnosis and therapeutic option. The blood flow was effectively reduced after arterial embolization alone, and there was no evidence of recurrence at the 5-month follow-up.
The present study reports that embolization of the affected vessels can be a more effective and safe method than surgical resection for the treatment of AVM during the growth period.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two ginsenoside Rb1 (G-Rb1) loaded films on oral wound healing. Two types of G-Rb1 films, G-Rb1 loaded carboxymethyl cellulose (GCMC) film and G-Rb1 loaded hyaluronic acid (GHA) film, were developed. A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: control, GCMC, and GHA. After wound formation on midpalate, the control group was left without treatment, whereas the experimental groups had films attached. The specimen was analyzed clinically and histologically after 7 and 21 days. For clinical analysis, the area of incompletely re-epithelialized wound was measured. For histological analysis, the distance between the margins of the wound (soft tissue gap) was measured and the percentage of the collagen-stained area on the specimen was calculated. In clinical and soft tissue gap analysis, the GCMC group presented improved healing compared to the GHA group and the control at day 7 (p < 0.05). And, both GCMC (9.74 ± 10.12%) and GHA groups (19.50 ± 14.47%) presented greater collagen-positive pixels compared to control (0.89 ± 1.60%) at day 7 (p < 0.05). However, there were no differences in these parameters among the groups on day 21. Therefore, G-Rb1 loaded films improved oral wound healing.

The aim of this study is to investigate the awareness and perception of pediatric dentists regarding dental health insurance (DHI) system in Korea. Online surveys were sent to the members of the Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (KAPD), and the responses were collected. The survey, consisting of 41 questions, was subdivided into ‘general background of the respondents’, ‘the awareness on national health insurance (NHI) and DHI’, ‘the awareness on DHI pertaining to pediatric dentistry’, ‘issues that need improvement on DHI pertaining to pediatric dentistry’, ‘DHI claims’, and ‘the roles of KAPD in DHI’. In total, 302 responded, with a response rate of 28.9%. Excluding 2 questionnaires with insufficient answers, a total of 300 survey results were analyzed. According to the analysis, pediatric dentists thought that the coverage of DHI was not as sufficient compared to that of NHI, but were expecting its scope to broaden in the future. The satisfaction rate was higher in pit and fissure sealant and composite resin filling than in caries-detecting quantitative light-induced fluorescence. Pediatric dentists considered permanent tooth composite resin filling (65.7%) needed an increase in insurance copayment, while topical fluoride application (74.7%) to require insurance coverage. DHI claims were generally handled by dental hygienists and/or nursing assistants. Approximately half of the respondents answered that they have had experiences on appealing for insurance denials. Lastly, pediatric dentists generally had a positive attitude towards providing information for the DHI. This study is expected to be used as a sound dataset for the DHI policy development concerning pediatric dentistry.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the spread of a new type of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on the mental state in school-age children and parents focusing on the aspects of sleep disorders and depression. A questionnaire survey was conducted for 123 parents and 108 school-age children who visited Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital at Gangdong from April 2, 2020 through April 25, 2020, via the direct writing method. Participants were assessed with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7, Center for Epidemiology Scale for Depression. Logistic regressions were used with a level of significance of 5%.
The prevalence of GAD, depression, and poor sleep in parents were 34.1%, 17.1% and 44.7%, respectively. The prevalence of GAD in children was 20.4%.
Logistic regression showed that stress from Emergency Alert Messages about COVID-19 was associated with GAD and depression in parents. In children, the degree of emotional change after COVID-19 was associated with GAD.
This study confirmed that there was a change in the psychological status of children and guardians due to the epidemic of coronavirus disease-2019, and it would be necessary to consider their psychological status during dental treatment.

Since January 2019, insurance coverage for caries treatment of permanent teeth using composite resin in children aged 12 and under has started in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to compare the pattern of permanent molar composite resin restoration aged 12 and under before and after the insurance coverage from January 2009 to March 2020 in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital at Gangdong.
Since the insurance coverage was started in 2019, the frequency of permanent molar composite resin restoration aged 12 and under has increased more than twice. There was a significant change in frequency of resin restoration by shape of cavity comparing before and after the insurance coverage, whereas there was no significant difference in changes by patient age, gender and position of tooth.
As accessibility to the permanent tooth composite resin restoration is increased by the insurance coverage, which shows a fair survival rate, it is expected that it could be able to secure oral health in the early permanent dentition aged 12 and under.