• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.393-399
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to realize research demands by gathering the research agenda from the Korean Dental Hygienists Association and affiliated groups through a Delphi survey. The study subjects were the heads of eight groups. The Delphi survey was conducted by e-mail after a researcher explained the objective of the study to the heads. The research agenda was classified according to the Korean dental hygiene academic classification and the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda classification. To compare the number of research agendas according to classification among the groups, we conducted a chi-squared test by using IBM SPSS 20.0. In total, 316 agendas were submitted. According to the Korean dental hygiene academic classification, there was a significant difference among the groups, and the agendas associated with clinical dental hygiene (36.7%) were the best. According to the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda classification, there was no significant difference and the agendas associated with health promotion and disease prevention (27.8%) were the best. In conclusion, the Korean Dental Hygienists Association and affiliated groups demanded similar research agendas, corresponding to the purpose of each establishment. However, the groups did not seem to show unique characteristics according to the purpose of each establishment. In other words, the groups should corroborate such characteristics and suggest a corresponding agenda to establish specific areas of research in dental hygiene. Also, dental hygiene researchers should mark the academic classification of the studies they want to submit.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.639-646
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• 1999

The dental care delivery system and the dental specialty system have a very close relationship each other. Compared to Korea. Western European countries with predominant public sector in dental service have recognized merely 2 or 3 dental specialties, while North American countries with predominant private sector, 8 or 9 ones. It is desirable to adopt the dental specialty system as soon as possible in Korea to encourage scientific development in various dental specialties and qualitative advance in dental service. We, however, have to establish equitable dental care delivery system which can use limited dental resources efficiently as follows. 1. clarifying the different roles in assignments between general dentists and specialists by the amendment of the related laws such as the Medical Act and establishing the organic patient-referral system. 2. adopting the dental specialty system and expanding personnel and equipments so that the dental college hospitals, especially dental divisions of general hospitals, night function as secondary care facilities with specialties. 3. determining the size of dental specialists according to the national needs for dental specialized service's, whose number is to be not more than 10% of the total dentists. 4. transferring the function of accredating dental specialists to the efficient, self-controlled professional organization such as the Korean Dental Association rather than putting it under the governmental control. 5. conducting a comprehensive review of specialty education and practice for re-recognition, and maintaining competence of specialists by re-accredating them periodically. I expect this article to contribute to further discussion about the dental specialty system in Korea in productive and practical way. I am sure that we can Establish this system in the near future when people in every walks of life-the academic circle, the press, the authority concerned, consumer groups and the Korean Dental Association-take part in the discussion with special concern.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.391-400
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• 2005

Special Practitioner exists based on the need for special fields that are required to manage difficult patients with specialized skills distinguished from General practitioner. The purpose of dental specialist system is to manage patients who are not treatable by general practitioner by training doctors specializing in one specific field, thereby, enhancing health of the public. Oral Medicine deals with orofacial pain, oral soft tissue disease, forensic dentistry, oral diagnosis. In these days, living environments of city life bring about increase in stress which ultimately lead to increase in prevalence of temporomandibular disorder, oral soft tissue disease, neuropathies such as trigeminal neuralgia, and hence, the number of patients seeking help of those symptoms tend to increase. The purpose of this study was to analyze the rate of referrals and the routes of patients seeking help by investigating 3,707 patients who visited Department of Oral Medicine, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, from August, 2004 to April, 2005. The results were as follows: 1. The types of disease referred to the Department of Oral Medicine were orofacial pain, oral soft tissue disease, forensic dentistry, oral diagnosis. 2. The rate of referrals was 58.51% which implies that more than half of the patients visiting the Department of Oral Medicine were referred. 3. The types of institution which made referrals were analyzed, and as a result, dental clinics made most of the referrals with the rate of 83.23%, while that from medical or oriental medical institutions was 16.78%. 4. Among the patients who visited the Department of Oral Medicine on their own, 30.52% gained the information about the Department of Oral Medicine from internet and mass media, and from neighbors. From the above results, most of the patients visiting the Department of Oral Medicine were found to be referred not only from the field of dentistry but also from the field of medicine. These suggest that Oral Medicine manages patients who are not treatable by general dental practitioners, and medical specialists tend to cooperate with the Department of Oral Medicine to manage diseases associated with Oral Medicine. Therefore, the role of Oral Medicine can be considered to be important as a special field, and the results of this study should be considered when working out a policy of Dental specialist system on demand and supply of residents in the future.