There is increasing evidence that the environmental hormones may adversely affect the human body. The human reproductive system misrecognizes some of these endocrine disruptors with consequences to reproductive cell differentiation. Therefore, studies on the safety of these substances have been widely carried out to develop the science to create effective legislation to limit or prevent their use or require the development of inert, alternative substances. A few studies have reported that the oral cavity is the pathway for absorption of these substances released from plastic products or environmental hormone substances. This review suggests that the oral environment is vulnerable to exposure to environmental hormones and introduces supporting literature.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the electrochemical characteristics of nanotubular Ti-25Nb-xZr ternary alloys for dental implant materials. Materials and Methods: Ti-25Nb-xZr alloys with different Zr contents (0, 3, 7, and 15 wt.%) were manufactured using commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti), niobium (Nb), and zirconium (Zr) (99.95 wt.% purity). The alloys were prepared by arc melting in argon (Ar) atmosphere. The Ti-25Nb-xZr alloys were homogenized in Ar atmosphere at $1,000^{\circ}C$ for 12 hours followed by quenching into ice water. The microstructure of the Ti-25Nb-xZr alloys was examined by a field emission scanning electron microscope. The phases in the alloys were identified by an X-ray diffractometer. The chemical composition of the nanotube-formed surfaces was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Self-organized $TiO_2$ was prepared by electrochemical oxidation of the samples in a $1.0M\;H_3PO_4+0.8wt.%$ NaF electrolyte. The anodization potential was 30 V and time was 1 hour by DC supplier. Surface wettability was evaluated for both the metallographically polished and nanotube-formed surfaces using a contact-angle goniometer. The corrosion properties of the specimens were investigated using a 0.9 wt.% aqueous solution of NaCl at $36^{\circ}C{\pm}5^{\circ}C$ using a potentiodynamic polarization test. Result: Needle-like structure of Ti-25Nb-xZr alloys was transform to equiaxed structure as Zr content increased. Nanotube formed on Ti-25Nb-xZr alloys show two sizes of nanotube structure. The diameters of the large tubes decreased and small tubes increased as Zr content increased. The lower contact angles for nanotube formed Ti-25NbxZr alloys surfaces showed compare to non-nanotube formed surface. The corrosion resistance of alloy increased as Zr content increased, and nanotube formed surface showed longer the passive regions compared to non-treatment surface. Conclusion: It is confirmed that corrosion resistance of alloy increased as Zr content increased, and nanotube formed surface has longer passive region compared to without treatment surface.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dental fear experienced among Korean adolescents and to identify the relevant factors. Materials and Methods: In order to compare the level of dental fear depending on the subjects' previous experience, descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Gender- and grade-dependent evaluation was performed according to the presence of their previous dental visit and dental fear. Subjective oral health status was also investigated. In order to determine the factors affecting dental fear, logistic regression analysis was performed. Result: Among the total of 333 subjects who had experienced dental fear, females were found to experience 1.766 times greater dental fear than males (P=0.007). The worse subjective perception of their oral health was associated with increase in the experience of dental fear by 1.245-fold (P=0.047). Conclusion: The dental fear was likely to be formed during the visit to the dentist's office or through previous experience of dental treatment. Therefore in order to reduce the fear associated with dental treatment in adolescents, establishemnt of a proper environment in the dental clinic and a patient management program are necessitated.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microleakage of various types of resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPDs) after artificial aging. Materials and Methods: Forty models with missing first molar were fabricated using artificial resin teeth and were divided into four groups: Group A, conventional RBFPDs design; Group B, modified RBFPDs design; Group C, assembled 3-piece RBFPDs design; and Group D, assembled 3-piece RBFPDs with different occlusal rest positions. Half of the specimens underwent chewing simulation process (240,000 cycles, 50 N load, 1.7 Hz) and thermocycling (temperatures $5^{\circ}C{\sim}55^{\circ}C$, dwelling time 30 seconds) and the remaining 20 specimens didn't receive any treatment. All the specimens were immersed in 2% methylene blue solution for 24 hours to evaluate microleakage, and were sectioned at the middle part of abutment teeth. To evaluate the microleaskage, a dye penetration was calculated. Result: With artificial aging, cyclic loading and thermocycling, a 3-piece RBPFD and a 2-piece RBPFD using original tooth undercuts have significantly lower microleakge (P<0.05) compared to the conventional design of RBPFD and modified RBPFD. Conclusion: Within the limit of this experiment, the assembled RBFPDs exhibited a smaller microleakage than the conventional RBFPDs, implying that the assembled RBFPDs can be more effective for reducing the dislodgement of the RBFPDs.

In case of loss of many teeth due to dental caries or periodontal disease, improvement of masticatory function and aesthetics can be obtained through implant treatment. However, if the patient does not have a normal intercondylar relationship, it is difficult to achieve an ideal occlusal relationship with only prosthetic treatment. In particular, oral reconstruction with orthodontic treatment or orthognathic surgery is necessary for patients with mandibular prognathism. However, if the posterior occlusion collapses due to severe caries or periodontal disease, orthognathic surgery may be difficult. The occlusal vertical stop is very important for the stability of the mandibular position during occlusal reconstruction through orthognathic surgery. The patient in this case had posterior occlusion collapsed due to the caries of a large number of posterior teeth, and showed mandibular prognathism and long face. We planned a full arch restoration with orthognathic surgery and extracted the hopeless teeth. To secure the vertical stop required for orthognathic surgery, the implant was placed before surgery. After the orthognathic surgery and the final prosthesis application, the results were satisfactory for the improvement of the aesthetics and the restoration of the masticatory function.