• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.271-278
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of water fluoridation program(WFP) on dental caries prevention in Ulsan, Korea. Methods: The data of control group were extracted from 2012 Korean National Oral Health Survey(KNOHS). Since 1998, WFP was implemented in Ulsan. The subjects were 670 subjects including 10 to 12-years old children in 2009. The control subjects were 4,871 people in non-fluoridated metropolitan cities comparable to Ulsan. The control subjects were selected from 2012 KNOHS. A self-reported questionnaire was completed by the variables including oral health behaviors on daily frequency of toothbrushing, eating snacks and beverages. Oral health examination was carried out by two dentists who received a training in KNOHS with an inter-examiner-agreement. Caries preventive fraction was calculated by the difference of DMFT and DMFS index. The preventive effects of the WFP program were focused on gender, number of fissure sealed teeth, daily frequency of toothbrushing, eating snacks and beverages. Data were analyzed using SPSS $19.0^{(R)}$(SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) statistical package. Results: DMFT indices of 12-year-old subjects(n=670) in WFP and control population(n=4,871) were 2.11 and 1.23, respectively with an estimated prevention effect of 41.7%. Conclusions: WFP in Ulsan reduced the prevalence of dental caries. WFP should be recommended for the public oral health program in other metropolitan cities.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.271-280
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• 2013

This study aims to analyze the effects of tooth-brushing facilities (TBF) at middle schools that installed TBF in 2012 as part of the oral health project in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The subjects were the first graders at A middle school that installed TBF previously and B middle school that installed TBF in 2012. The results are as follows: DMFT, DMFS and CPI didn't show significant difference by schools (p>0.05), but code (0) was higher and code (2) was lower in female students than male students (p<0.05). As to PHP index, the students at A school with TBF indicated better oral hygiene (p<0.01). In the research on before and after installing TBF, the oral hygiene was improved significantly more after the installation than before (p <0.01). In the comparison on the oral health-related behavior, the percentage of not brushing after lunch was higher B school than A school and the frequency of toothbrushing after lunch was higher A school than B school (p<0.01). About the reasons why not to brush after lunch, there was difference in 'lack of the place' as A school showed 2.6% while B school without TBF indicated 14.2% (p<0.01). About the changes of the oral health-related behavior before and after TBF installation, the percentage of not brushing after lunch increased from 78.7% to 83.8% after the installation. The average frequency of tooth-brushing after lunch for one week also decreased from 0.50 to 0.34 (p>0.05). Among the reasons why not to brush after lunch, 'lack of the place' significantly reduced, but 'because other friends don't do it' increased greatly after the installation (p <0.05). Only with the improvement of oral health knowledge, we cannot expect either clinical or behavioral significance. Not only schools but policies of governmental agencies and financial support, cooperation of community-related groups for program development and evaluation will contribute altogether to helping teenagers to habitualize proper oral health management.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.521-526
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long term effect of school-based oral health program on decrease of dental caries among elementary school children. The subjects of this study were total 727 students of one elementary school in Deagu, Korea. They had received school-based oral health programs for more than one year since 2004. This school-based oral health program included regular oral examination, fluoride mouth-rinsing, pit-and-fissure sealing, APF gel application, tooth brushing instruction and take the xylitol tablet after lunch during school days. The subjects' oral health status were examined by two calibrated dentists every year from 2004 to 2009. The DMFS index of $1^{st}$ grade to $6^{th}$ grade experimental and control group was 0.07, 0.39, 0.55, 0.67, 0.81, 1.79 and 0.31, 0.86, 1.07, 1.04, 2.71, 3.08 respectively. It's significantly different in $5^{th}$ grade(p<0.001) and $6^{th}$ grade(p=0.018) when it compare with control group. This study partially showed effect of school-based oral health programs on decrements of dental caries. This program should be expanded widely among elementary school in Korea. Xylitol tablet also recommended to included in school-based oral health programs.