The application of the health belief model in oral health-related dietary behavior / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#This study aimed to investigate the relationship between oral health beliefs and oral health-related dietary behavior. @*Methods@#The participants of this cross-sectional study were 728 middle school students living in Jeonju who were selected through convenience sampling. For the survey, self-administered questionnaires were completed in individual settings. The analysis model was the oral health belief model, and the analysis method was path analysis. @*Results@#Among oral health beliefs, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy were found to be correlated with the oral health-related dietary behavior index. Multiple regression analysis showed that factors affecting the oral health-related dietary behavior index were gender (female), perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy. Path analysis showed that variables that significantly impact the oral health-related dietary behavior index are perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and likelihood of action. The factor with the greatest impact was perceived barrier; the lower the barrier, the higher the level of dietary behavior undertaken to prevent dental caries. @*Conclusions@#Oral health beliefs are related to oral health-related dietary behavior. Since perceived barriers had the greatest correlation with oral health-related dietary behavior, measures must be taken to help remove the barriers.

Caries prediction using the caries activity test with a sulfisomidine mixture: a 3-year follow-up study / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prediction validity of the caries activity test with a sulfisomidine mixture (SAHS test). METHODS: This longitudinal follow-up study was conducted for 3 years. The subjects were 155 elementary schoolchildren. Oral examination was performed by examining each tooth surface of the subjects. The number of teeth with new caries lesions was calculated by comparing between the baseline data of the initial oral examination and the results of the second oral examination performed after 3 years. The Dentocult SM test was used as the reference in the analysis of the caries prediction validity of the SAHS test. The items of the validity test for carries prediction were as follows: sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratio. RESULTS: The correlation between new caries lesions and the SAHS test scores was greater than that between new caries lesions and the Dentocult SM test scores. The receiver-operating analysis revealed that the area under the curve of the SAHS test was higher than that of the Dentocult SM test. The caries prediction validity of the SAHS test (grade 12) was as follows: sensitivity, 0.71-0.70; specificity, 0.60-0.58; positive predictive value, 0.79-0.78; negative predictive value, 0.49 (screening criterion 5). The SAHS test scores were similar to or higher than the scores in the items of the Dentocult SM test. CONCLUSIONS: The SAHS test is considered useful for clinical applications.

Cross-sectional study of the association of vitamins C and D with periodontal status / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between vitamin C, vitamin D, and periodontal diseases in adults. METHODS: The data used for analysis were obtained from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2014). Subjects were 2,702 adults aged from 19 to 64 years. Complex Chi-square tests and complex logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between vitamins and periodontal status. RESULTS: There is no statistically significant association between vitamin C intake and periodontal status. Periodontal status of subjects with a low vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) level was better than that of the subjects with a high level (P<0.05). However, multivariate analysis demonstrated that this association is not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: More follow-up studies are necessary to determine the association of the vitamins C and D with the periodontal diseases.

Pattern of dental caries in Korean adolescents with a high risk of caries / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyze the pattern of dental caries in a high-risk group of Korean adolescents. METHODS: Raw data on 10,542 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 years from the 2012 Korean National Oral Health Survey was used. The subjects were divided into a high caries risk group and non-high caries risk group for analysis. For the statistical analyses, we utilized a frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, and a multidimensional scaling analysis. RESULTS: The pattern of dental caries in the high caries risk group were divided into six classifications for 12-year-olds and five for 15-year-olds, including the mandibular first molar occlusal surface (Cluster 1). In the high caries risk group, the frequency of Cluster 1 was approximately 4-times higher in 12-year-olds than that in the non-high caries risk group of Cluster 1, and about 3-times higher in 15-year-olds. The multidimensional scaling analysis found that in the high caries risk group, the same types of tooth surfaces formed separate groups. The prevalent dental caries pattern of 12-year-olds in the high caries risk group was left-right symmetry, while in the 15-year-olds of the high caries risk group, the caries pattern also included the antagonistic teeth, along with left-right symmetry. However, the non-high caries risk group had a pattern of left-right symmetry only in the 15-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS: When dental caries occur in the first molar, there is a high possibility of being classified into the high caries risk group. Therefore, preventative measures should focus on the antagonistic teeth and the teeth on the opposite side.