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Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to identify whether stress experienced by those working in the local civil service was related to their oral health during the COVID-19 pandemic. @*Methods@#A survey was conducted on 431 civil servants from eight districts, currently working in the Daegu City Hall had COVID-19 related work duties during the pandemic. @*Results@#Several factors associated with oral health related quality of life were explored. Demographic details revealed that men had significantly better oral health related life quality as compared to women; further, being younger, being unmarried, and having a lower position had better outcomes for oral health related quality of life. Regarding the relationship between oral health behavior and oral health related quality of life, it was found that the better the subjective oral health, the higher the rate of not visiting the dentist in the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a particularly important time to explore in order to understand how the stress experienced by local government officials is related to their oral health. It has been especially noted that the higher the work stress, the worse the oral health related quality of life amongst individuals. @*Conclusions@#Results of this study emphasize that at a time when fatigue among civil servants is increasing due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, oral conditions caused by stress should be identified and greater awareness should be created about oral health care.
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Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in the genotype distribution of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), the main cause of periodontal disease, according to smoking status. @*Methods@#Two hundred thirty adults with periodontal disease were selected as subjects and were classified into either a smoking or non-smoking group. Smoking behavior was assessed with a self-administered questionnaire, and subgingival plaque was collected and analyzed using polymerase chain reaction to confirm the P. gingivalis genotype. For statistical analysis, SPSS Ver 25.0 was used. @*Results@#P. gingivalis was expressed in 224 subjects (97.4%), and there was no difference in its expression rate according to smoking. However, there was a significant difference in smoking in type III genotype and smoking period in type II genotype with P. gingivalis (P=0.003). @*Conclusions@#Although smoking was not related to the overall distribution of P. gingivalis, increased volume and duration may inhibit the expression of type II and type III genotypes.
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Objectives@#The aim of this study is to identify the factors related to re-visit intentions of patients who had visited the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled currently operating in Korea. @*Methods@#A self-developed questionnaire (29 items) was distributed among 1,000 randomly selected patients and their guardians who had visited one of the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled, with a consent. Consequently, 874 questionnaires were collected and analysed for statistics using SPSS 25.0. @*Results@#The patients traveled a long distance to visit the oral health care centers because of their specialization for the disabled. With the level of satisfaction with dentist services, dental hygienist services, and facilities increasing, the re-visit intention proportionally rose. @*Conclusions@#This study presents basic data that provides information on the operation of 10 oral health care centers for the disabled. It is imperative to develop a more structured questionnaire, and conduct an annual survey of the disabled visiting the centers.
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Objectives@#With the surge in the elderly population, a growing interest in the prevention and treatment of geriatric diseases has been observed, along with awareness of the severity of problems associated with dementia, a cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between chewing ability and cognitive function among elderly people residing in a rural area. @*Methods@#A total of 162 elderly individuals, aged between 65 and 97 years, were surveyed. Trained examiners conducted interviews and assessments of chewing ability, on the basis of the number of remaining teeth, denture status, masticatory performance evaluating gum, ShadeEye-NCC measuring overall change in color of the gum (ΔE), and T-Scan® III analyzing distribution of occlusion patterns. Cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) tool. @*Results@#Participants with a low score in the MMSE-DS were found to have distinguishably lower denture need, smaller number of remaining teeth, and lesser color change in the masticatory performance evaluating gum. In the cognitive impairment group, a tendency of having unilateral and anterior occlusion led to occlusal discomfort and chewing difficulties. @*Conclusions@#The study highlights important associations between chewing ability and cognitive function. The finding corroborates that tooth loss may be a predictive risk factor for cognitive impairment.
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OBJECTIVES@#To estimate the prevalence of edentulism according to the socio-demographic variables of Korean adults between 2007 and 2018 and to analyze the trends. @*METHODS@#This study was conducted using raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2007 to 2018. Edentulism was defined as the absence of upper and lower teeth or the retained root of the missing teeth. To obtain the prevalence of edentulism, complex sample frequency analysis and regression analysis were performed according to the socio-demographic variables to represent the national population. The Korean population structure in 2005 was exploited as a standard population to calculate age-standardized edentulism. @*RESULTS@#The prevalence of edentulism in 2016-2018 was 9.7% in the Korean elderly, and the change of age-standardized edentulism steadily declined over time from 2007, 12.8%. In particular, it decreased by approximately 20% in the period between 2016 and 2018 compared to that in 2007 for those in their 80s. The trend of the prevalence according to gender decreased significantly in women. According to the level of education, the greatest decrease was seen in the group with the lowest education, although the prevalence itself was higher than that seen in those who were more educated. @*CONCLUSIONS@#The prevalence of edentulism among the older Korean population has decreased over time. However, the concern is on those with lower education and men as these groups are still at higher risk for edentulism.
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Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in the genotype distribution of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), the main cause of periodontal disease, according to smoking status. @*Methods@#Two hundred thirty adults with periodontal disease were selected as subjects and were classified into either a smoking or non-smoking group. Smoking behavior was assessed with a self-administered questionnaire, and subgingival plaque was collected and analyzed using polymerase chain reaction to confirm the P. gingivalis genotype. For statistical analysis, SPSS Ver 25.0 was used. @*Results@#P. gingivalis was expressed in 224 subjects (97.4%), and there was no difference in its expression rate according to smoking. However, there was a significant difference in smoking in type III genotype and smoking period in type II genotype with P. gingivalis (P=0.003). @*Conclusions@#Although smoking was not related to the overall distribution of P. gingivalis, increased volume and duration may inhibit the expression of type II and type III genotypes.
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Objectives@#The aim of this study is to identify the factors related to re-visit intentions of patients who had visited the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled currently operating in Korea. @*Methods@#A self-developed questionnaire (29 items) was distributed among 1,000 randomly selected patients and their guardians who had visited one of the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled, with a consent. Consequently, 874 questionnaires were collected and analysed for statistics using SPSS 25.0. @*Results@#The patients traveled a long distance to visit the oral health care centers because of their specialization for the disabled. With the level of satisfaction with dentist services, dental hygienist services, and facilities increasing, the re-visit intention proportionally rose. @*Conclusions@#This study presents basic data that provides information on the operation of 10 oral health care centers for the disabled. It is imperative to develop a more structured questionnaire, and conduct an annual survey of the disabled visiting the centers.
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Objectives@#With the surge in the elderly population, a growing interest in the prevention and treatment of geriatric diseases has been observed, along with awareness of the severity of problems associated with dementia, a cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between chewing ability and cognitive function among elderly people residing in a rural area. @*Methods@#A total of 162 elderly individuals, aged between 65 and 97 years, were surveyed. Trained examiners conducted interviews and assessments of chewing ability, on the basis of the number of remaining teeth, denture status, masticatory performance evaluating gum, ShadeEye-NCC measuring overall change in color of the gum (ΔE), and T-Scan® III analyzing distribution of occlusion patterns. Cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) tool. @*Results@#Participants with a low score in the MMSE-DS were found to have distinguishably lower denture need, smaller number of remaining teeth, and lesser color change in the masticatory performance evaluating gum. In the cognitive impairment group, a tendency of having unilateral and anterior occlusion led to occlusal discomfort and chewing difficulties. @*Conclusions@#The study highlights important associations between chewing ability and cognitive function. The finding corroborates that tooth loss may be a predictive risk factor for cognitive impairment.
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OBJECTIVES@#To estimate the prevalence of edentulism according to the socio-demographic variables of Korean adults between 2007 and 2018 and to analyze the trends. @*METHODS@#This study was conducted using raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2007 to 2018. Edentulism was defined as the absence of upper and lower teeth or the retained root of the missing teeth. To obtain the prevalence of edentulism, complex sample frequency analysis and regression analysis were performed according to the socio-demographic variables to represent the national population. The Korean population structure in 2005 was exploited as a standard population to calculate age-standardized edentulism. @*RESULTS@#The prevalence of edentulism in 2016-2018 was 9.7% in the Korean elderly, and the change of age-standardized edentulism steadily declined over time from 2007, 12.8%. In particular, it decreased by approximately 20% in the period between 2016 and 2018 compared to that in 2007 for those in their 80s. The trend of the prevalence according to gender decreased significantly in women. According to the level of education, the greatest decrease was seen in the group with the lowest education, although the prevalence itself was higher than that seen in those who were more educated. @*CONCLUSIONS@#The prevalence of edentulism among the older Korean population has decreased over time. However, the concern is on those with lower education and men as these groups are still at higher risk for edentulism.
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Objectives@#Loneliness was associated with not only social status but also general health. Psychological conditions in older people have negative effects on general health and oral health. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between loneliness and subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional study analyzed the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) for the questionnaire, UCLA loneliness scale data of 1,511 older adults living in a rural community. Logistic regression was conducted to identify the relevance of subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly according to the level of loneliness. @*Results@#According to the final model that after adjustment for other risk factors (age, gender, level of education, smoking, drinking, etc.), in the elderly who rarely feel loneliness group compared to the elderly who never feel loneliness was Odds ratio (OR) 1.256 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.99-1.60) and sometimes+often feel loneliness was OR 2.110 (95% CI: 1.39-3.21). @*Conclusions@#Loneliness is associated with subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly. Older people feeling loneliness are likely to have more subjective chewing discomfort.
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Objectives@#The aim of this study was to examine the antibacterial effect of mastic oil on a representative caries-inducing bacterium, Streptococcus mutans. @*Methods@#S. mutans UA159 was maintained in a BHI medium containing 0.1% sugar at 37℃ and 10% CO2 . Strains were treated with six different concentrations of mastic oil (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5%). After incubation for 16 h, the antibacterial effect was evaluated by measuring the optical density (OD) and observing the colony-forming unit. A microtiter plate assay was performed to analyze the anti-adhesion ability of mastic oil on S. mutans. @*Results@#More than 0.1% of mastic oil inhibited the growth of S. mutans. In addition, 0.4% mastic oil exterminated S. mutans. Mastic oil induced an anti-adhesive ability in S. mutans. @*Conclusions@#These results suggest that mastic oil may be used as a preventive measure against dental caries.
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Objectives@#Periodontitis-causing microorganisms and their virulence factors can provoke periodontal destruction in the host. This study was aimed at evaluating the distribution of periodontal disease and its relationship with 11 periodontal disease-causing bacteria in the elderly. @*Methods@#Individuals aged 60 years or above were recruited after obtaining informed consent. The clinical attachment loss was measured at studied sites to determine the severity of periodontitis. Further, the stimulated salivary samples were collected and analyzed with real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect 11 strains of periodontitis-causing bacteria. @*Results@#The severity of periodontal disease was proportional to the amount of periodontal diseasecausing bacteria. Porphyromonas gingivalis in the red complex increased from 6.60±5.50 in stage 1 to 5.36±5.39 in stage 2 and 7.19±5.56 in stage 3 (P=0.003). Tannerella forsythia increased from 6.54±4.60 in stage 1 to 7.44±4.56 in stage 2 and 8.49±4.70 in stage 3 (P=0.007). @*Conclusions@#The presence of complex bacterial groups and their number of strains were high in participants with severe periodontitis. Controlling periodontitis-related bacteria is important for periodontal health in the elderly.
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Objectives@#The aim of this study was to examine the antibacterial effect of mastic oil on a representative caries-inducing bacterium, Streptococcus mutans. @*Methods@#S. mutans UA159 was maintained in a BHI medium containing 0.1% sugar at 37℃ and 10% CO2 . Strains were treated with six different concentrations of mastic oil (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5%). After incubation for 16 h, the antibacterial effect was evaluated by measuring the optical density (OD) and observing the colony-forming unit. A microtiter plate assay was performed to analyze the anti-adhesion ability of mastic oil on S. mutans. @*Results@#More than 0.1% of mastic oil inhibited the growth of S. mutans. In addition, 0.4% mastic oil exterminated S. mutans. Mastic oil induced an anti-adhesive ability in S. mutans. @*Conclusions@#These results suggest that mastic oil may be used as a preventive measure against dental caries.
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Objectives@#Periodontitis-causing microorganisms and their virulence factors can provoke periodontal destruction in the host. This study was aimed at evaluating the distribution of periodontal disease and its relationship with 11 periodontal disease-causing bacteria in the elderly. @*Methods@#Individuals aged 60 years or above were recruited after obtaining informed consent. The clinical attachment loss was measured at studied sites to determine the severity of periodontitis. Further, the stimulated salivary samples were collected and analyzed with real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect 11 strains of periodontitis-causing bacteria. @*Results@#The severity of periodontal disease was proportional to the amount of periodontal diseasecausing bacteria. Porphyromonas gingivalis in the red complex increased from 6.60±5.50 in stage 1 to 5.36±5.39 in stage 2 and 7.19±5.56 in stage 3 (P=0.003). Tannerella forsythia increased from 6.54±4.60 in stage 1 to 7.44±4.56 in stage 2 and 8.49±4.70 in stage 3 (P=0.007). @*Conclusions@#The presence of complex bacterial groups and their number of strains were high in participants with severe periodontitis. Controlling periodontitis-related bacteria is important for periodontal health in the elderly.
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OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the distribution of periodontopathic bacteria and oral conditions.METHODS: Stimulated saliva was collected from 162 adults aged 60 years and above. The prevalence and amount of periodontopathic bacteria in the saliva were analyzed using real-time PCR. Pocket depth and clinical attachment loss were examined to evaluate the oral conditions of the subjects. Patients who had at least one tooth surface involved, with a pocket depth ≥4 mm or clinical attachment loss ≥5 mm were classified as having periodontal disease.RESULTS: The detection rates of most bacteria in the orange and green complexes were more than 90%, while those of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia in the red complex were 58.6% and 61.7%, respectively. The number of bacteria in the red complex positively correlated with each other. There were no significant differences in the number of types of red complex bacteria in the saliva and the distribution of residual number of teeth and periodontal disease (P>0.05). On the other hand, the number of remaining teeth in subjects with higher bacterial density were more than those with lesser bacterial density. In addition, the occurrence of dental disease differed significantly depending on the number of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia.CONCLUSIONS: The relative amount of periodontopathic bacteria is important in the occurrence of periodontal disease, and the number of these bacteria positively correlated with each other.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Bacteria , Citrus sinensis , Forsythia , Hand , Oral Health , Periodontal Diseases , Prevalence , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Saliva , Stomatognathic Diseases , ToothABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the job satisfaction level of the dental staff working at oral health centers for people with disabilities. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 73 dentists and dental hygienists working at seven regional oral health centers for people with special needs and dental hospitals for people with disabilities in Seoul. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions across two subscales: general satisfaction (4 questions) and satisfaction with wage and welfare (3 questions). The internal consistency of the questionnaire items was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (0.80). The responses were analyzed using a t-test with SPSS (version 23.0). RESULTS: Of the 73 dental staff members, 50% were dentists, 64% were women, and participants' average age was 30 years. In total, 58% of the participants had up to five years of experience working with people with disabilities, 42% of them worked full-time, and each participant treated an average of 200 patients with disabilities per month. The participants reported that their salary was relatively low. Dental hygienists had higher satisfaction level than dentists in the institution's welfare work. The more full-time workers answered, the more suitable they are for their work. CONCLUSIONS: The job satisfaction level of most professionals working in oral health centers for people with disabilities was not very high but they felt rewarded by their welfare work. It was inferred that it is necessary to examine and improve institutional support aspects such as human resource support. Increasing the number of centers in the central region is also needed.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Dental Hygienists , Dental Staff , Dentists , Disabled Persons , Job Satisfaction , Oral Health , Reward , Salaries and Fringe Benefits , SeoulABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the association between the management of oral health and experiences of oral health education and to investigate the influential factors of the Patient Hygiene Performance (PHP) index in an area's university students. In addition, we explored the factors that influence the PHP index and how to effectively promote oral health. METHODS: All collected data were analyzed using the χ2 test, the t-test, and multiple regression using SPSS version 23.0 for Microsoft Windows. The statistical significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: The total age of 380 participants ranged from 18 to 39 years (mean 22.22±2.43). No significant differences were found in oral health status and experiences of oral health education. CONCLUSIONS: Active national-based policies to develop regular and systematic national oral health education programs are needed.
Subject(s)
Humans , Education , Health Behavior , Health Education, Dental , Hygiene , Oral Health , Oral HygieneABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the antifungal effects of neutral electrolysis hydrogen water, an agent known for its oral anti-bacterial effects on the growth of C. albicans in vitro.METHODS: Hydrogen water, denture cleansing agent, and Listerine® were compared to a tap water control. We serially cultured C. albicans KCTC 27239 in SD media to analyze the inhibitory effect of each treatment on growth. We evaluated the data using repeated-measures ANOVA test and one-way ANOVA test, and a significant difference was defined as P < 0.05.RESULTS: Hydrogen water significantly inhibited the growth, but not the biofilm formation, of C. albicans compared to tap water control at 1-, 5-, and 10-minute time points (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The growth of C. albicans was slower in hydrogen water than in tap water, thereby suggesting an inhibitory effect of hydrogen water. Hydrogen water may, therefore, be utilized as an antibacterial and preventive agent without any harmful effect on denture and oral tissues.
Subject(s)
Biofilms , Candida albicans , Candida , Dentures , Detergents , Electrolysis , Hydrogen , In Vitro Techniques , WaterABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to determine methods of dental caries prevention by investigating the use of compounds of Diospyros kaki (D. kaki) peel, Momordica charantia (M. charantia), and Canavalia gladiata (C. gladiata) extracts to limit the cariogenic traits of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), such as their ability to proliferate and adhere to the tooth surface. METHODS: Broth microdilution and the agar spreading assay were used to determine the antimicrobial effect and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of S. mutans extracts. In order to identify the adhesive ability of S. mutans at varying concentrations, culture plates were first stained with 1 ml of 0.01% crystal violet for 15 minutes at room temperature, and then eluted with 1 ml of EtOH:Acetone (8:2) solution for 15 minutes in a 37℃ incubator. Eluted solutions were then evaluated by use of a spectrophotometer at 575 nm. RESULTS: Experiments were conducted in order to investigate the effectiveness of D. kaki peel, M. charantia, and C. gladiata extracts on limiting the proliferation of S. mutans. The MIC was measured as an indication of whether the antibacterial activity of D. kaki peel, M. charantia, and C. gladiata extracts had a significant bacteriostatic effect on S. mutans. M. charantia extract was effective for growth inhibition on S. mutans at a minimum concentration of 0.25%. From the adhesion ability assay, M. charantia extract had an anti-adhesive effect. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that M. charantia extract demonstrates antibacterial activity and has an anti-adhesive effect on S. mutans. Due to these properties, M. charantia extract may be used to prevent dental caries.
Subject(s)
Adhesives , Agar , Canavalia , Dental Caries , Diospyros , Gentian Violet , Incubators , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Momordica charantia , Momordica , Streptococcus mutans , Streptococcus , Thiram , ToothABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In general, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and tooth loss increases with age. We investigated the relationship between the presence of MS, its elements, and tooth loss in middle-aged Korean adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included Korean adults between 30 and 64 years of age who resided in the capital area of Seoul. From January to June 2014, individuals interested in participating in the oral health survey among those who visited the university hospital's cardiovascular center and provided informed consent were selected. Among 748 subjects who responded to the oral health questionnaires, 30 were excluded due to unclear responses; therefore, a total of 718 were included in the final analysis. RESULTS: The crude odds ratio (OR) of ≥one MS component affecting tooth loss was 1.45 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–2.00]. After adjusting for sex, age, education, income level, occupation, smoking status, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and rheumatic disease, the adjusted OR was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.06–2.05), which was statistically significant (p<0.05). The OR for tooth loss was higher in the presence of ≥one component of MS (50–64 years of age) in females. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that female aged 50–64 years may have higher likelihood of tooth loss upon the presence of at least one MS component. Prevention against MS among female of older age could contribute to maintenance of remaining teeth. Further well-designed studies are needed.