Factors associated with severe tooth loss in Korean adults / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to severe tooth loss among sociodemographic, oral health behavior, and systemic disease factors. @*Methods@#This study used raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018), which included 13,199 adults aged ≥19 years. The severe tooth loss was defined as a group with more than a third quartile (top 1/4) of the total number of tooth loss. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlations. @*Results@#Sociodemographic factors had a were more factors significantly correlated on severe tooth loss than oral health behavior-related and systemic disease-related factors. Among the assessed sociodemographic factors, age, resident area, household income, education level, and household type were correlated with severe tooth loss, with education level having the greatest impact. Among the oral health behavior-related factors, smoking had the greatest impact on severe tooth loss; tooth brushing frequency was also an important factor. Among the systemic disease-related factors, only diabetes incidence was associated with severe tooth loss. @*Conclusions@#Promoting smoking cessation, proper tooth brushing, and diabetes management could reduce severe tooth loss. Moreover, sociodemographic factors should be taken into account while planning oral health promotion projects.

The regional distribution and sociodemographic characteristics of adults with Significant Tooth Loss / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to assess the applicability of the Significant Tooth Loss index as a new statistical indicator and to analyze the socio-economic factors of the participants included in the Significant Tooth Loss. @*Methods@#This study used raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). The survey included 13,199 adults aged ≥19 years. The Significant Tooth Loss was defined as a group with more than a third quartile (top 1/4) of the total number of tooth loss. The Significant Tooth Loss index was defined as the mean tooth loss in the group. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the socio-economic factors of the Significant Tooth Loss, and absolute and relative differences were calculated to confirm oral health inequality. @*Results@#Among overall tooth loss in adults, the proportion of tooth loss in the Significant Tooth Loss was 83.8%. The Significant Tooth Loss index was a useful indicator to determine oral health statistics. Socio-economic factors that were associated with significant tooth loss were age, gender, region, household income, and education. Oral health inequality was observed based on household income and education. @*Conclusions@#The Significant Tooth Loss index should be used to measure the level of oral health. Measures to reduce tooth loss should be investigated.

Dental caries incidence in permanent teeth of 12-year-old children in Korea / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#The objective of this study was to analyze dental caries incidence in the permanent teeth of 12-year-old children. @*Methods@#This study used the raw data from the 2015 Korean children’s oral health survey. Participants of the research were 12-year-old children in their first year of middle school. A total of 27,291 people participated in the questionnaire and oral examination. Statistical analysis was performed using complex samples frequency analysis and contingency coefficient phi (φ). @*Results@#Dental caries predominately developed symmetrically with a higher tendency for left-right symmetry than for maxillary-mandibular symmetry in the mouth. The incidence of dental caries between adjacent teeth had a statistically significant correlation and was highest in the first and second premolars. @*Conclusions@#Information on symmetry in the development of dental caries and the association of dental caries incidence between adjacent teeth of 12-year-old children should be actively utilized when establishing evidence-based dental caries management plans.

Association between oral health status and school loss in adolescents / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#This study aimed to investigate the association between school loss due to dental disease and oral health status in adolescents. @*Methods@#The study participants were 881 adolescents (453 middle and 428 high school students).Data were collected through a self-administered survey and oral examination. Chi-square test and t-test were used to analyze the association between school loss due to dental disease and oral health status, and multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing school loss. @*Results@#Dental caries was the leading cause of school loss. School loss due to dental disease was more prevalent in the group with a higher number of carious teeth than in the group without dental caries. According to bivariate analysis, school loss due to dental disease was associated with toothache, gingival bleeding, maxillofacial trauma, and caries. When controlling demographic variables, gingival bleeding, maxillofacial trauma, and dental caries were associated with school absence.Moreover, maxillofacial trauma was associated with school absence period up to 1 year. @*Conclusions@#Therefore, oral health status and school loss of adolescents are associated, and the importance of oral health in adolescents should be emphasized.

Effect of oral health-related self efficacy and social support on oral health-related quality of life among adolescents / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#This study aimed to examine the effects of oral health-related self efficacy and social support on oral health-related quality of life, and analyze the related factors. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional study was carried out on 979 high school students living in Iksan. Data were collected from January 15 to 30, 2014. Individual self-administered surveys were conducted through the sampling method. The contents of the survey were the characteristics of the subjects, oral health-related self efficacy (OHSE), social support related to oral health (OHSS), and quality of life related to oral health (QHRQoL). A survey tool designed by the author was used to measure OHSE and OHSS. QHRQoL used Child Oral Health Impact Profile-Short Form 19 (COHIP-SF 19) for examination. The statistical analysis methods used were mean difference, correlation, and multiple regression analyses. @*Results@#QHRQol was correlated with OHSE, but not OHSS. Per the multivariate analysis, factors that affected QHRQoL were gender, mother’s education level, academic stress, and OHSE; OHSS did not have any effect. @*Conclusions@#It was found that OHSE influenced QHRQoL. Therefore, it is necessary to develop education programs that can enhance OHSE.

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.

Classification of dental caries pattern in 12-year-old Korean adolescents by multivariate analysis / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to analyze the pattern of dental caries in 12-year-old Korean adolescents through multivariate analysis. @*Methods@#This study used raw data from the 2015 Korea Children’s Oral Health Survey. The study participants were 12-year-old adolescents. A total of 27,291 people participated in the questionnaire and oral test. The statistical analysis methods used were multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and factor analysis. @*Results@#The result was derived after analyzing the dental caries pattern of teeth and tooth surface by multi-dimensional scaling method, cluster analysis method, and factor analysis. Morphologically homologous teeth were gathered to form clusters. Caries occurrence showed a more similar caries experience pattern when the types of tooth surfaces, such as occlusal and occlusal surfaces, were the same than when they were different. @*Conclusions@#Epidemiological data on the pattern of dental caries in 12-year-old adolescents can be used as basic data to create evidence-based dental caries management plans.

Influence of carbonated drinks on acid production in Streptococcus mutans biofilm / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of carbonated drinks on acid production in Streptococcus mutans biofilm. @*Methods@#Fifty one hour-old S. mutans biofilms were formed on hydroxyapatite discs. After selecting of the carbonated drinks (Coca cola, Coca cola zero sugar, Sprite, Sprite zero sugar, and Fanta), as well as negative (water) and positive (1% sucrose) controls for this study, glycolytic pH drop assay was performed using the S. mutans biofilms. The influence of the test agents on acid production of the 51 h-old biofilms was determined by the initial production rate and final concentration of protons, calculated using the pH values at 0-30 min and 120 min, respectively. @*Results@#The pH values of the carbonated drinks ranged from 2.4 to 3.1. Sugar-free carbonated drinks and the negative control maintained the pH of acid produced by S. mutans biofilms above the critical pH. The sugar-added carbonated drinks and the positive control decreased the pH below the critical pH due to the acid production of S. mutans biofilms. Overall, sugar concentration in carbonated drinks was closely related to acid production in S. mutans biofilm. @*Conclusions@#These results suggest that sugar-added carbonated beverages should be considered for their role in dental erosion and dental caries, while non-sugar-added carbonated beverages should emphasize their role in dental erosion rather than dental caries.

Oral health literacy and related socioeconomic factors in mothers / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#This study aimed to examine oral health literacy (OHL) in mothers and the factors that influence it. @*Methods@#A total of 431 mothers of preschool children were chosen as study participants using the convenience sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was used in this study. The survey contents included the socioeconomic characteristics of the participants as well as their level of oral health literacy. @*Results@#In total, 44.8 percent of the participants had a low level of verbal oral health literacy (0-6 grade), and 16.9 percent had a low functional oral health literacy (≤6). Educational level and family income were significantly associated with the participants’ oral health literacy (Pearson correlation). Verbal oral health literacy of the participants was related to their family’s income, whereas their functional oral health literacy was related to their educational level. @*Conclusions@#Many of the participants had a low level of oral health literacy. For mothers, to improve their oral health literacy, an oral health literacy program must be in place. Oral health literacy programs should be targeted toward mothers with low socioeconomic status.

Oral health literacy and related socioeconomic factors in mothers / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#This study aimed to examine oral health literacy (OHL) in mothers and the factors that influence it. @*Methods@#A total of 431 mothers of preschool children were chosen as study participants using the convenience sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was used in this study. The survey contents included the socioeconomic characteristics of the participants as well as their level of oral health literacy. @*Results@#In total, 44.8 percent of the participants had a low level of verbal oral health literacy (0-6 grade), and 16.9 percent had a low functional oral health literacy (≤6). Educational level and family income were significantly associated with the participants’ oral health literacy (Pearson correlation). Verbal oral health literacy of the participants was related to their family’s income, whereas their functional oral health literacy was related to their educational level. @*Conclusions@#Many of the participants had a low level of oral health literacy. For mothers, to improve their oral health literacy, an oral health literacy program must be in place. Oral health literacy programs should be targeted toward mothers with low socioeconomic status.

The effect of socio-psychological trait on the oral health related quality of life among college students / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to examine the association between oral health-related quality of life and adult attachment type among college students. @*Methods@#A total of 557 self-administered questionnaires were collected from undergraduates in Jeonbuk. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. The results were analyzed using t-tests, analyses of variance, Duncan’s multiple range tests, correlation analyses, and multiple regression analyses. @*Results@#The results of this study showed that sex and age were significant factors according to the analysis of the oral health-related quality of life in terms of general characteristics. The variable that had the greatest effect on the oral health-related quality of life was attachment anxiety, followed by age, sex, and attachment avoidance. @*Conclusions@#Education and counseling to promote safety of adult attachment will improve the oral health-related quality of life for college students.

The effect of socio-psychological trait on the oral health related quality of life among college students / 대한구강보건학회지

Objectives@#The purpose of this study was to examine the association between oral health-related quality of life and adult attachment type among college students. @*Methods@#A total of 557 self-administered questionnaires were collected from undergraduates in Jeonbuk. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. The results were analyzed using t-tests, analyses of variance, Duncan’s multiple range tests, correlation analyses, and multiple regression analyses. @*Results@#The results of this study showed that sex and age were significant factors according to the analysis of the oral health-related quality of life in terms of general characteristics. The variable that had the greatest effect on the oral health-related quality of life was attachment anxiety, followed by age, sex, and attachment avoidance. @*Conclusions@#Education and counseling to promote safety of adult attachment will improve the oral health-related quality of life for college students.

Chronologic trends of cancer-related lymph node research in PubMed: informetrics analysis

Purpose@#Given the long history of investigation into cancer and its relevance to the lymph node (LN), it would be meaningful to plot the trends of research on cancer-related LN. @*Methods@#Queries such as “cancer,” “lymph node,” and “cancer and lymph node” were submitted to PubMed to collect articles on cancer and LN published between 1945 and 2017. The collected articles were then extracted by an automatic web crawler and examined through informetrics and linguistic analysis. @*Results@#The number of articles related to cancer was 2,795,476 and 127,897 articles (4.6%) were found to be relevant to LN. With regard to cancer types, breast cancer was the most studied (37%), followed by gastric cancer (17%). With regard to the subjects in which the surgeon is interested, LN metastasis (57%) was found to be the topic most discussed, followed by LN dissection (22%) and sentinel LN (17%). Publications on LN metastasis gradually increased over time from 1988 to 2017 although those on sentinel LN and LN dissection have stagnated since the early 2000s. @*Conclusion@#Although research on cancer was abundant, only a small portion was dedicated to investigating its relevance to LN. Western countries had led the research on cancer-related LN, but Asian countries began to participate as major players, expanding their contributions. While LN metastasis, one of the major cancer-related LN topics, showed a steady increase, those involved in oncologic surgery such as LN dissection and sentinel LN did not.

School loss days due to dental diseases among adolescents / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the lost school days due to dental diseases among adolescents and to assess their oral health in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: A total of 881 adolescents (middle school: 453, high school: 428) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of questions relating to the subject's socio-demographic characteristics and lost school days due to dental diseases. The lost school days due to dental diseases included absence and early leave. The differences in the lost school days by socio-demographic characteristics were analyzed by chi-square test and t-test. RESULTS: In the past year, 2% of adolescents were absent from school (approximately 2 days of absence), 7.6% left school early (about 3 days of early leave), and 8.3% were absent from school or left school early (about 4 days of absence and early leave) because of dental diseases. The most common reason for absence from school was dental caries (31.8%), followed by malocclusion (9.3%), periodontal disease (7%), and maxillofacial trauma (2.3%). Dental caries was the most common reason (18%) for early leave, followed by malocclusion (8.8%), maxillofacial trauma (2.6%), and periodontal disease (1.8%). Absence from school was higher when the educational background of the respondent's father was middle-school graduate or lower (5.6%: middle-school graduates or lower, 1.6%: high-school graduates, 1.8%: college graduates or higher). High school students with dental diseases (11.7%) were absent or went on early leave to a greater extent than middle school students (5.1%). CONCLUSIONS: To reduce lost school days due to dental diseases among adolescents, different strategies are required including prevention and early treatment of dental caries and avoidance of maxillofacial trauma.

A comparative study of the utility of oral health indicators in adults / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the value and utility of certain oral health indicators in adults. METHODS: The data used for analysis was obtained from the 6(th) Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2014). The study subjects were 7,729 adults aged between 20 and 64 years. The oral health indicators used for the analysis were T-Health (tissue health index), FS-T (functioning teeth index), and DHC of 1st molar (dental health capacity of the first molars). Descriptive statistical indices for oral health indicators were obtained (mean, skewness and kurtosis, and coefficient of variation). The correlation among oral health indicators, DMF, and sound tooth structure was analyzed. RESULTS: The oral health indicator scores had an abnormal distribution. DHC of 1st molar is found to be the most reliable indicator because it most accurately reflects the oral health decline that occurs as a result of aging. In all ages, DHC of 1st molar marked the lowest value in skewness and kurtosis. However, the skewness and kurtosis values of T-Health in adults younger than 44 years old were found to be the lowest among all age groups. FS-T is believed to most accurately reflect oral health status as it has a high correlation with sound tooth structure and sound tooth surfaces. T-Health is evaluated to most accurately reflect oral disease indicators as it appears to have a high correlation with DMF and high caries risk. CONCLUSIONS: The oral health indicators T-Health, DHC of 1st molar, and FS-T have distinct characteristics that can serve as different health indices. Therefore, they can each be utilized in various fields of oral epidemiology.

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.

Relationship of dental anxiety with oral health behavior and dental caries experience in adolescents / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of dental anxiety with oral health behavior and dental caries experience among adolescents. METHODS: The subjects were 469 teenagers (238 middle school students and 231 high school students) in 15 different schools located in 7 regions of Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province, Daejeon, and others. A survey and interviews were conducted to evaluate subjects' oral health behavior and dental anxiety. Dental anxiety was additionally assessed by Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale. The caries experience of subjects was examined. RESULTS: There were no regional differences in dental anxiety. Girls felt more dental anxiety than boys did. Adolescents who did not receive treatment even when they needed it felt more dental anxiety than those who did receive treatment. There were also statistically significant differences in dental anxiety according to the type of treatment received. Adolescents who received extraction treatment or underwent oral surgery experienced more dental anxiety than those who received orthodontic or aesthetic treatment. Those who had a toothache or who experienced gingival bleeding felt more dental anxiety than those who did not have those conditions. Subjects with poor perceived oral health also had more dental anxiety. The number of decayed teeth and filled teeth was significantly correlated with dental anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: In adolescents, dental anxiety is related to their oral health behavior, the type of conditions they present with, the treatment received, and dental caries experience. Therefore, the kind of systematic programs that could relieve adolescents of dental anxiety should be prepared.

Activity restriction caused by maxillofacial trauma in adolescents / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (1) survey cases of maxillofacial trauma in adolescents and (2) analyze the relationship between maxillofacial trauma and activity restriction. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 881 participants selected using the convenience sampling method in the Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do regions. Individual self-reporting questionnaire surveys were performed. RESULTS: It was found that 17.2% of adolescents experienced maxillofacial traumas, and 45.3% of them reported activity restrictions caused by the the traumas. The occurrence ratio of maxillofacial trauma was higher in male students (20.6%) than in female students (14.0%). Among the activity restrictions caused by maxillofacial traumas, chewing disturbance was the most frequent activity restriction type, showing an incidence of 54.6%, and taste disturbance was the least frequent, showing an incidence of 9.3%. All the activity restrictions in adolescents were found to have relationships with maxillofacial trauma occurring within the recent one year. Among the activity restrictions, chewing disturbance was most closely related with the trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Since maxillofacial traumas cause activity restrictions in adolescents, it is necessary to prepare policies for the prevention of maxillofacial trauma. Furthermore, it is necessary to intensify the education regarding treatment methods for maxillofacial trauma.

Relationship of oral health literacy with oral health behaviors among adults / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors. METHODS: The study subjects were 760 adults who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The participants were administered a self-report questionnaire. Oral health literacy was classified into two categories: verbal oral health literacy and functional oral health literacy. The oral heath behaviors that were surveyed included perceived oral health status, perceived oral health interest, perceived oral health knowledge, experience of visiting dental clinic, experience of scaling, and the frequency of toothbrushing. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, educational level, and family income were also surveyed. RESULTS: The ratio of self-perceived good oral health status and toothbrushing more than three times a day was higher in the participants with high oral health literacy than in those with low oral health literacy. Oral health literacy was positively correlated with oral health behaviors. Perceived oral health status, perceived oral health interest, perceived oral health knowledge, experience of scaling, and frequency of daily toothbrushing were also positively correlated with oral health literacy. Furthermore, perceived oral health status and frequency of daily toothbrushing were both correlated with verbal oral health literacy and functional oral health literacy. A multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that oral health literacy was correlated with oral health behaviors. Verbal oral health literacy was correlated with perceived oral health interest, perceived oral health knowledge, and frequency of daily toothbrushing. Functional oral health literacy was correlated with perceived oral health status. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the oral health of adults, oral health literacy, which is related to oral health behaviors, should be considered alongside the implementation of appropriate oral health education. Furthermore, an oral health literacy intervention should be immediately developed.