RESUMO
BACKGROUND: This study is aimed to evaluate the level of fear and to reduce the overall fear, thereby enabling patients to receive treatment via timely visits. METHODS: In a survey conducted by 460 South Korean middle school students, we used 453 data that faithfully responded to the survey. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate the factors influencing subjective oral health and dental fear. The significance level used for statistical significance was α = 0.05. RESULTS: The level of fear was higher for upper grade, female students. The factors affecting dental fear were higher for gingival bleeding and dental pain. Regarding factors for dental fear affecting subjective oral health, lower fear of puncture needle and tooth removal tool resulted in higher subjective oral health. CONCLUSION: The study found that adolescents had higher fear of dental care when they had gingival bleeding and tooth pain. Gingival bleeding is a symptom of early gingival disease and dental pain is likely due to advanced dental caries. These results suggested that it is necessary to have a program to reduce dental fear and anxiety as well as a program to prevent dental diseases through regular periodic screening and education.
RESUMO
AIMS: This study was performed to examine the association of the internal exposure of cadmium and lead with periodontitis in a representative sample of adults, who were involved in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One thousand nine hundred and sixty-six subjects over the age of 19 who participated in KNHANES were examined. Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) exposure were grouped into three categories: low (<25th percentile), middle (25th-75th percentile) and high (≥75th percentile). The periodontal status was assessed by the Community Periodontal Index. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to get the adjusted odds ratio (OR), and subgroup analysis was also performed. All analyses considered a complex sampling design. RESULTS: The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed associations of Cd with periodontitis. Subjects with a high Cd had a 1.57 (95% CI: 1.03-2.38) times higher OR for periodontitis than those with a low Cd. In the subgroup analysis, the association of Pb and Cd with periodontitis was different according to the strata of gender and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: High Cd could be associated with periodontitis in females and current smokers, and middle Pb showed associations in females and non-smokers among a representative sample of adults in Korea.
