Assessment of oral hypofunction and its association with age among Korean community-dwelling older adults.

Background: Due to the increasing proportion of older adults in Korea and growing interest in aging, the concepts of oral aging and oral hypofunction have recently been introduced. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the age-specific oral function levels of Korean older adults and develop expert intervention methods for healthy aging.

Methods: Dysphagia, independence of daily living, and oral hypofunction were assessed in 206 older adults living in Wonju, Gangwon State, South Korea.

Effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on oral health of Korean adolescents.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on Korean adolescents' oral health and identify the influential factors.

Methods: The raw data from The Korea Youth Risk Behaviour Web-based Survey before (2019) and after (2020) the outbreak of COVID-19 were used in the study. Demographic characteristics and subjective general, mental, and oral health were analysed and compared between the 2 years.

Factors Affecting Body Image Distortion in Adolescents.

Body image distortion is an important problem in physical and psychological health in adolescents. This study examined the factors affecting body image distortion in Korean adolescents. A Rao−Scott χ2 test and a complex samples logistic regression was conducted using the statistics from the 17th (2021) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey.

Relationship between Risk Factors Related to Eating Disorders and Subjective Health and Oral Health.

This study examined the factors related to eating disorders (ED) and the relationship between ED and subjective health or subjective oral health in adolescents. The 46,146 adolescents (age 12-18 years) who participated in the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey were selected, including those who had attempted to lose weight within the past 30 days during the survey period. The variables included were eating behavior, BMI, body image subjective health, and subjective oral health.

Anti-biofilm activity of chlorhexidine-releasing elastomerics against dental microcosm biofilms.

Objective: To evaluate the anti-biofilm activity of chlorhexidine-releasing elastomerics (CRE) developed to prevent biofilm-related diseases in orthodontic patients, using dental microcosm biofilms.

Methods: Elastomerics coated with one of two solutions (CRE 1 and 2) were attached to bovine enamel specimens. Uncoated elastomerics were used for negative (distilled water [DW]) and positive (0.

Detection of nosocomial pneumonia pathogens using a fluorescence-based device.

Background: Early detection of nosocomial pneumonia pathogens is a significant factor in hospital-acquired pneumonia care. This study aimed to determine the autofluorescence properties of five nosocomial pneumonia pathogens using a fluorescence-based device and to establish evidence for clinical guidelines.

Methods: The following bacterial strains were assessed: Acinetobacter baumannii (AB), Escherichia coli (EC), Enterococcus faecalis (EF), Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA).

Evaluation of the Erosive and Cariogenic Potential of Over-the-Counter Pediatric Liquid Analgesics and Antipyretics.

To evaluate the cariogenic and erosive potentials of over-the-counter pediatric oral liquid antipyretics and analgesics, we tested nine over-the-counter pediatric oral liquid medications classified as antipyretic or analgesic medicines available in Korea. For each substance, we measured the pH with a pH meter and the sugar content with a sugar content meter. We determined the titratable acidity (TA) levels based on the volumes of NaOH solution that had to be added to reach a pH of 7.

Relationship between an Oral Health Risk Assessment Using a Salivary Multi-Test System and Woman's Subjective Oral Health Symptoms and Sleep Disorder.

Saliva is used as a diagnosis and monitoring tool for various diseases because it can maintain the balance of the oral ecosystem and reflect the physiological and pathological state of the body. Because women suffer more fatigue than men because of physiological, psychological, and social factors, individual management strategies are needed to evaluate mental health and oral diseases. Therefore, this study examined the oral health risk level from seven saliva factors using a saliva multi-test system for adult women to confirm the possibility of screening for sleep disorders.

Appropriate Starting Dose of Dasatinib Based on Analyses of Dose-Limiting Toxicities and Molecular Responses in Asian Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Background: Dasatinib is administered at a fixed starting dosage of 100 mg once daily regardless of patient-specific factors. However, such fixed dosing may not be optimal for the treatment of Asian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CP-CML).

Patients And Methods: The dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and molecular responses (MRs) of dasatinib therapy were evaluated using clinical data obtained from 102 patients newly diagnosed with CP-CML at 17 hospitals in South Korea.

Development of a limited sampling strategy for the estimation of isoniazid exposure considering N-acetyltransferase 2 genotypes in Korean patients with tuberculosis.

A limited sampling strategy (LSS) to estimate the exposure to isoniazid was developed considering N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) genotypes in Korean patients with tuberculosis. The influence of the genotypes on the pharmacokinetics of isoniazid was also evaluated. A total of 33 participants participated in the study and received isoniazid 300 mg once daily.

Level of professional ethics awareness and medical ethics competency of dental hygienists and dental hygiene students: the need to add ethics items to the Korean Dental Hygienist Licensing Examination.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the level of professional ethics awareness and medical ethics competency in order to assess the potential need for ethics items to be included on the Korean Dental Hygienist Licensing Examination.

Methods: In total, 358 clinical dental hygienists and dental hygiene students completed a structured questionnaire to evaluate their level of ethical awareness and medical ethics competency. The sub-factors of medical ethics were classified into relationships with patients, medical and social relations, and individual specialized fields.

Educational effect of 3D applications as a teaching aid for anatomical practice for dental hygiene students.

The purpose of this study is to find out effective methodology of anatomical curriculum by comparing the education effects and satisfaction using different teaching tools, plastic model and three-dimensional (3D) application. A survey was conducted on the satisfaction level, understanding, and the usefulness of the tools used in the lectures of the two dental hygiene students groups who used the 3D application and the plastic model respectively. The interest in anatomical structure of the 3D App group was 4.

Dietary Oily Fish Intake and Frailty. A Population-Based Study in Frequent Fish Consumers Living in Rural Coastal Ecuador (the Atahualpa Project).

Oily fish are recommended as part of a healthy diet due to their high content of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), proteins, and other nutrients. There is preliminary evidence of beneficial effects of ω-3 PUFAs in the prevention of sarcopenia (a major component of frailty). In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between dietary oily fish intake and a measure of frailty - the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) score - in community-dwelling older adults living in rural coastal Ecuador.

A Real-World Analysis of Prescribing Patterns and Non-persistence of Anti-TNFα Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background And Objectives: Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy is key to the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The objective of this study was to investigate prescribing patterns and non-persistence of anti-TNFα therapy for the treatment of IBD in a real-world scenario.

Methods: Data from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database obtained between 2010 and 2014 were evaluated to identify patients with IBD who had received anti-TNFα therapy (infliximab or adalimumab).

Cutoff fluorescence loss for the recovery of incipient carious lesions after fluoride application in primary teeth: A clinical study.

Purpose: Early detection and diagnosis of incipient caries are the keys to achieving a favorable prognosis. Monitoring of pathological changes based on clinical evidence leads to an accurate prognosis. Therefore, this clinical study investigated changes in minerals of incipient carious lesions using quantitative light-induced fluorescence-digital (QLF-D) after applying professional fluoride treatment to children, with improvement of the lesion severity assessed based on the fluorescence loss (ΔF) value obtained using QLF-D.

Development of a fluorescence-image scoring system for assessing noncavitated occlusal caries.

Background: This study aimed (1) to develop a scoring system based on a quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) score for the occlusal caries (QS-Occlusal) that standardizes the fluorescence properties of noncavitated lesions from QLF images, (2) to confirm the validity and reliability of QS-Occlusal, and (3) to determine whether it is possible to replace existing clinical examinations by image evaluations based on the developed QS-Occlusal for assessing occlusal caries lesions.

Methods: This clinical study investigated 791 teeth of 94 subjects. The teeth were assessed by visual and tactile examinations using ICDAS criteria and quantitative light-induced fluorescence-digital (QLF-D) image examinations.

A new screening method to detect proximal dental caries using fluorescence imaging.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the screening performance of the quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) technology to detect proximal caries using both fluorescence loss and red fluorescence in a clinical situation. Moreover, a new simplified QLF score for the proximal caries (QS-Proximal) is proposed and its validity for detecting proximal caries was evaluated as well.

Methods: This clinical study included 280 proximal surfaces, which were assessed by visual-tactile and radiographic examinations and scored by each scoring system according to lesion severity.

Current issues and areas for improvement in the Korean Dental Hygienist National Licensing Examination: an expert Delphi survey among dental hygienists.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate current issues and areas for improvement in the Korean Dental Hygienist National Licensing Examination (KDHNLE) through an expert Delphi survey.

Methods: A Delphi survey was conducted from May through August 2016 in Korea. This Delphi survey included 20 persons representing the field of dental hygiene (7 groups from various dental hygiene-related organizations).

Improving the efficacy of chlorhexidine-releasing elastomerics using a layer-by-layer coating technique.

The aims of this study were to identify the optimal concentration of coated orthodontic elastomerics using a layer-by-layer technique that can release chlorhexidine (CHX) as an antimicrobial material, and to measure the physical properties and antimicrobial effects of the coated elastomerics. Ethyl cellulose (EC) was used as the polymer, and five study groups with various combinations of solvents (i.e.

Synergistic effect of maternal obesity and periodontitis on preterm birth in women with pre-eclampsia: a prospective study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if pregnant women with both obesity and periodontitis are more likely to experience preterm birth (PTB) in women with pre-eclampsia (PE) than pregnant women with only obesity or only periodontitis.

Materials And Methods: The study examined a total of 328 pregnant women at 21-24 weeks of gestation. Overweight and obesity was defined based on criteria proposed by the WHO Expert Consultation.

Dietary fish intake and sleep quality: a population-based study.

Background/objectives: Due to the content of omega-3 and vitamin D, fish consumption is likely to be associated with better sleep. However, current data are limited to a single study that is not representative of the population at large. The present study aimed to assess the effects of oily fish consumption on sleep quality in community dwelling adults living in rural coastal Ecuador.

Association between estimated fluoride intake and dental caries prevalence among 5-year-old children in Korea.

Background: The purposes of this study were to estimate the fluoride intake from food and drink in 5-year-old Korean children, and to measure the association between estimated fluoride intake and dental caries prevalence.

Methods: The study involved a secondary analysis of raw data from the 4(th) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES; 2007-2009). The study subjects were 167 boys and 147 girls aged 5 years who had undergone both physical and nutritional examination as part of the survey.

Oily fish consumption is inversely correlated with cerebral microbleeds in community-dwelling older adults: results from the Atahualpa Project.

Background: Oily fish is a major dietary source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs). These nutrients improve endothelial dysfunction, reduce β-amyloid induced damage of neurovascular units, and might prevent the occurrence of cerebral microbleeds. However, this relationship has not been investigated so far.

Dietary Oily Fish Intake and Blood Pressure Levels: A Population-Based Study.

The effect of fish consumption on blood pressure is controversial. The authors measured blood pressure and calculated oily fish servings per week in 677 community-dwellers aged 40 years and older living in rural coastal Ecuador. Using regression models with linear splines, the authors evaluated whether dietary fish intake was related to blood pressure levels, after adjusting for relevant confounders.

Calcifications in the carotid siphon correlate with silent cerebral small vessel disease in community-dwelling older adults: A population-based study in rural Ecuador.

Aim: Using a population-based, cross-sectional design, we aimed to assess whether the presence of calcifications in the carotid siphon (as seen on computed tomography) is associated with silent markers of cerebral small vessel disease (on magnetic resonance imaging) in apparently healthy older adults living in Atahualpa, a rural Ecuadorian village.

Methods: Stroke-free Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years identified during a door-to-door survey underwent head computed tomography for assessment of carotid siphon calcifications, and brain magnetic resonance imaging for identification of white matter hyperintensities and silent lacunar infarcts. We evaluated the association between calcifications and markers of small vessel disease using logistic regression models adjusted for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors.