Effect of Oral Function Training on Swallowing Function in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals.

Background: Dry mouth, masticatory discomfort, and swallowing in older individuals are important factors affecting overall health. To improve their quality of life, efforts are required to improve their oral function. Therefore, this study implemented a training program evaluating oral function to confirm improvements in swallowing.

Socioeconomic status, food security, and chewing discomfort of Korean elders: results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background/objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and chewing discomfort and identify the role of food insecurity in the association's causal pathway in a representative sample of Korean elders.

Materials/methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2015) data for elders aged ≥ 65 years. Socioeconomic status indicators used included household income and education level.

The association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors in North Korean defectors: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors among North Korean defectors.

Methods: This study involved the collection of self-reported questionnaires from 123 North Korean defectors visited a dental clinic that offered complimentary services, to receive dental treatment in a metropolitan area of South Korea from December 2017 to April 2018. Oral health literacy was measured with the Test of Korean Functional Health Literacy in Dentistry (TOKFHLiD), which consists of 30 items concerning verbal oral health literacy and 42 items concerning functional oral health literacy (28 items for reading comprehension and 14 items for numeracy).

The association between Antonovsky's sense of coherence and job stress among dental hygienists in Korea.

Objective: High stress levels experienced by medical professionals are a well-established phenomenon in current literature. However, there are few studies focusing on stress experienced in the field of oral health or on the sense of coherence (SOC) that helps to actively respond to job stress. The purpose of this study was to analyse if there is an association between SOC and job stress among dental hygienists in Korea.

The association between visual impairment and dental care utilization in the Korean elderly.

Introduction: Individuals with visual impairment cannot recognize early-stage oral diseases, thus fail to receive prompt treatment.

Aims: To evaluate the association between visual impairment and dental care utilization in patients aged ≥65 years.

Design: Retrospective analysis.