• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.455-467
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• 2006

Demand for appropriate health care has gradually increased in Korea. In addition, developments of community- and school-based oral health programs have also focused oral health care for the oral health promotion. Especially, school-based oral health programs are the underpinnings of promoting oral health and preventing oral diseases among schoolchildren. School-based oral health programs have had three major components: oral health education, oral health services, and a healthful environments. These included oral health education(one-to-one communication, group communication, and use of mass communication), oral examination, fluoride mouthrinsing, pit-and-fissure sealants, fluoride gel application, mechanical plaque control, and chewing xylitol candy. In this study, we evaluate the effects of oral health programs among primary schoolchildren by comparing the oral health knowledge, oral health behaviors, and perception of caries prevention procedures. Data for this study were obtained from 699 primary schoolchildren at the two primary school in Daegu, Korea. One is experimental group, N primary school, that was established school-based oral health center under supervision of Nam-gu Public Health Center, the other is control group, N' primary school, that was yet to establish school-based oral health center. We surveyed children's oral health knowledge and behaviors, and perception of caries prevention procedures using self-administrated questionnaire and then analyzed differences of each item among two groups. The brief findings of this study were summarized as follows. There are several advantage to a comprehensive school-based oral health program. (1) School-based oral health programs facilitate and increase the effectiveness of teaching oral health subjects. (2) Schoolchildren are available for prevention or treatment procedure. (3) School-based oral health center may be less threating than private dental clinic. (4) With comprehensive school-based oral health programs the decayed, missing, and filled teeth(DMFT) of schoolchildren should demonstrate a substantial and steady decrease over time(Choi et al, 2004). In conclusion, treatment is not the answer to solving children's oral health programs; rather primary prevention is the key. Many countries and communities are focusing on hoe millions of underprivileged children can be provided with health care. Schoolchildren gain the knowledge and behaviors to attain and maintain good oral health in schools. For these reasons, the role of school-based oral health center is not only important but also a necessity.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2008

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long term effects of school-based oral health program on the decrease of dental caries among elementary school children. Methods: The subjects of this study were total 283 students of one elementary school in Deagu, Korea. They had received school-based oral health programs more than one year since 2004. This school-based oral health program included regular oral examination, fluoride mouthrinsing, pit-and-fissure sealing, APF gel application, tooth brushing instruction and chewing the xylitol tablets. The subjects' oral health status were examined and calibrated by a dentist every year from 2004 to 2007. Results: The change of DMFT index were as follows: (1)The subjects who entered the school at 2004 - 0.32(2004), 0.25(2005), 0.25(2006) and 0.38(2007), (2)the subjects who entered the school at 2005 - 0.18(2005), 0.31(2006) and 0.32(2007), and (3)the subjects who entered the school at 2006 - 0.19(2006) and 0.27(2007). Conclusions: This study partially showed the effects of school-based oral health programs on the increments of dental caries. This programs should be expanded widely among elementary schools in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.231-240
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• 2015

Objectives: Blood mercury levels among adults living in certain areas of the Gyeongsang Provinces have been shown to be very high (Kunwee County $29.6{\mu}g/L$, Yeongcheon-city $26.7{\mu}g/L$). The purpose of this project was to determine mercury exposure levels in schoolchildren and factors related with their mercury levels in high mercury exposure areas identifyed by the 2007 Korea National Environmental Health Survey. Methods: From June to September 2010, 1,097 students from grades 3 to 6 at 19 elementary schools participated in this study, including 294 students from 10 elementary schools in Kunwee County, 529 students from Yeongcheon City, 122 students from two elementary schools in Pohang City, North Gyeongsang Province, and 152 students from two elementary schools in Ulsan Metropolitan City. Biological samples from schoolchildren, including whole blood, urine and hair, were collected to measure total mercury at the time of a health check up. Information about children was collected by questionnaire. Total mercury concentrations in blood were measured using the Direct Mercury Analyzer 80 with the gold-amalgam collection method. Results: The mean mercury levels were $2.70{\mu}g/L$ in 1,091 blood samples, $2.25{\mu}g/g-creat.$ in 820 urine samples and $1.03{\mu}g/g$ in 1,064 hair samples. Blood mercury levels in the schoolchildren was slightly higher than the result of $2.4{\mu}g/L$ from a 2006 survey of elementary school children on exposure and health effects of mercury by the National Institute of Environmental Research. However, 0.3% and 4.5% of participants exceeded the reference level of blood mercury by CHBMII ($15{\mu}g/L$) and the US EPA ($5.8{\mu}g/L$), respectively. The reference level of urine by CHBMII ($20{\mu}g/L$) was exceeded by 0.4% of participants. As factors, residence period in the study areas, residence type, father's education level and income all showed significant associations with mercury level in the biological samples. The number of dental amalgam sides showed an association with urine mercury. Fish intake preference and fish intake frequency were important factors in mercury levels. In particular, intake of shark meat and recent intake of shark meat were associated with higher mercury levels. In this regard, participation in the performance of an ancestral rite showed a relation with higher mercury levels. Conclusion: The intake of shark meat was very important factor to high mercury exposure level. It is recommended to monitor and manage students with high mercury exposures who exceeded CHBM II and EPA guidelines, and include blood mercury testing in the Children's Health check up for this province.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.354-364
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• 2016

To evaluate the oral health status and to assess the resultant dental treatment needs in adolescents, 2,062 adolescents aged 14-17 years attending middle and high schools in Yangsan were surveyed by clinical examination and questionnaires. The obtained results were as follows. In the dental caries examination based on WHO criteria, the treatment needs of 66.7% of the subjects were determined. Assessment of dental erosion by the VEDE system indicated the treatment needs in 27.8% of the subjects, while MIH examination based on EAPD criteria indicated the treatment needs in 14.7%. Assessment of malocclusion using the occlusal index showed good occlusion in 67.8%, no need for treatment in 19.7%, slight need for treatment in 6.8%, definite need for treatment in 4.5%, and worst occlusion in 1.1% of the subjects, showing 12.5% of average treatment need. The prevalence and treatment need for periodontal disease was found to be 71.2% by CPITN assessments. The assessment of temporomandibular disorders by Helkimo's anamnestic index showed no symptoms in 67.1%, mild symptoms in 13.4%, and severe symptoms in 19.5% of the examinees. The overall treatment need of TMD was 20.6%. Periodontal diseases were ranked the highest in treatment need, followed by dental caries, dental erosion, MIH, TMD, and malocclusion in order. The results of this study indicated the overall status of adolescents'oral health and dental treatment needs. These might hopefully provide fundamental data and contribute to establishing promotional projects for adolescent oral health in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.103-113
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between perceived oral health and oral health status, oral health symptoms in elementary school students. Methods: Oral examination and oral hygiene survey were performed on 446 students in 5th grade from 4 elementary schools in Wonju, Gangwon province. Oral examination assessed decayed teeth, filled teeth, missing teeth from decay. Then, oral hygiene status was evaluated by O'Leary index and self-reported questionnaires were surveyed. We analysed the collected data using SPSS program ver. 20.0, significant difference level was p<0.05. Results: 38.4% of the subjects rated their oral health as poor, 61.6% as good, female students was worried about their appearances than male students. Their decayed teeth was 1.01, missed teeth was 0.01, filled teeth was 1.75, O'Leary index was 64.49, oral hygiene status of them was poor. Perceived oral health was associated to decayed teeth, DMFT, oral health symptoms except tooth fracture and pain of mucosa (p<0.05). However, there is no correlation between perceived oral health and oral hygiene status (p>0.05) Conclusion: Self-rated oral health status of the elementary school students was related to decayed teeth and oral health symptoms, but it was not related to oral hygiene status. Therefore it was needed to improve the oral hygiene status in elementary students by devise effective way to motivate them.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2013

Objectives: Bisphosphonates (BP) are widely used in medicine for inhibiting bone resorption; however bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a major side effect of BP. To date, there have been no specific reports on the incidence of BRONJ among Koreans. This study investigated the preliminary results from a nationwide survey of BRONJ in the Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) at individual training hospitals. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 OMFS departments (10 from dental schools, 4 from medical schools, and 1 from a dental hospital) participated in a multi-centric survey. This study assessed every BRONJ case diagnosed between January 2010 and December 2010. The patient age and BP type were evaluated. Results: A total of 254 BRONJ cases were collected. The majority of BRONJ cases were associated with oral BP therapy, while 21.8% of the cases were associated with intravenous administration. Alendronate was the drug most frequently related to BRONJ (59.2% of cases), followed by risedronate (14.3%) and zolendronate (17.0%). The average age of BRONJ patients was $70.0{\pm}10.1$ years, with a range of 38-88 years of age. With the number of BP patients in Korea reported to be around 600,000 in 2008, the estimated incidence of BRONJ is at least 0.04% or 1 per 2,300 BP patients. Conclusion: The results suggest that the estimated incidence of BRONJ in Korea is higher than the incidence of other countries. Future prospective studies should be carried out to investigate the exact epidemiological characteristics of BRONJ in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.229-237
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine oral health literacy in a sample of Korean of 5th and 6th grade elementary school children. Methods: Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 274 $5^{th}$ and $6^{th}$ grade children from two elementary schools located in Seoul and Uijeongbu. The oral health literacy assessment tool for children of Korea (OHLC-K) takes approximately 11 minutes to complete, and consists of 20 self-report questions with a score range of 0 to 20. Item analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple linear regression were performed using SPSS 23.0 and testAn 1.0. Results: The lowest and highest percentage of correct answers were found in "Definition of periodontal disease (19.3%)" and "Definition of halitosis (92.7%)," respectively. The mean score for oral health literacy was found to be $14.95{\pm}2.83$, corresponding to a score of approximately 75% correct answers. The correlation coefficient for Korean and OHLC-K scores was high (r=.73, P<.01). In the multiple linear regression, oral health literacy was associated with grade and gender. Conclusion: The present findings revealed that a quarter of the subjects were likely to misunderstand oral health information. Oral health education is indispensable to all children and, therefore, it is necessary to pay greater attention to children who exhibit poor oral health literacy.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to collect base-data for evaluation of primary school oral health program. The data was Obtained from 648 children of four primary schools in Gwangiu city, Gyeonggi-Do Korea, during 2 month (March to May, 2006). The survey was performed by a face-to-face interview questionnaire consisting of OIDP. We analyzed knowledge, attitude, action and DMFT, oral health knowledge, the state satisfaction, no dental treatment need according to being or not being of the score using SPSS 12.0. ODIP score measure was based on scoring method for OIDP. The results were as follows. 1. In knowledge, attitude, behavior of oral hygiene with regard to OIDP score, he group with OIDP score is higher than the group without that and in case of knowledge and behavior, the group with OIDP score has a significant difference from the group without (p < 0.05). 2. In case of the oral hygiene cognition, a situation satisfaction, a no dental treatment need based on OIDP score, the group without OIDP score has a desirable andsignificant difference from the group with OIDP score (p < 0.05). 3. In case of DMFT based on OIDP score, the group with has a higher DMFT than the group without and has an significant difference from the group without (p < 0.05).

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.166-173
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the satisfaction level of patients with oral health care provided by a dental hospital, especially scaling, and their oral health behavior. The subjects in this study were 263 college students who were in their 20s and selected from among patients who visited D university dental hospital in Gangwon Province during the oral prophylaxis practice of dental hygiene sophomores and juniors. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. Whether the selected students had ever had their teeth scaled was checked, and those who had outnumbered the others who hadn't. The rates of the former and latter respectively stood at 61.2 percent and 38.8 percent. Regarding places where they got their teeth scaled, the majority of the students that represented 75.2 percent did that at dental clinics. By gender, 34.4 percent of the male students did that at schools, which were larger than 11.8 percent of the female students who did. 88.2 percent of the female students did that at dental clinics, which were larger than 65.5 percent of the male students who did. Gender made significant differences to that(x2=10.79, p<.01). 2. As for satisfaction level with scaling by gender, the male students (38.7%) who had no specific idea outnumbered the female students (26.5%) who did. The female students(57.4%) who felt no pain during scaling outnumbered the male students(55.9%) who did. Gender made a significant difference to their responses. (x2=6.38, p<.05). 3. Concerning the use of oral hygiene supplies, most of the students who represented 72.2 percent had never flossed their teeth, and as many as 86.3 percent had never used a tongue cleaner. But the gaps between them and the others were not statistically significant.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1483-1491
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine current status of the types of dental filling materials and preventive materials among Korean children in mixed dentition. Seven elementary schools were randomly selected from four metropolitan regions in South Korea. The total of 711 children aged 9-10 years old were examined with their parents’ informed consents. Oral examination was conducted by one trained dentist. The mean number of dfs was $7.9{\pm}8.0$ ($ds=1.3{\pm}2.5,\;fs=6.6{\pm}7.6$) and DMFS was $1.4{\pm}2.2$ ($DS=0.2{\pm}0.8,\;FS=1.1{\pm}2.1$). The average of filled surfaces using amalgam, composites, sealants, and others were $2.8{\pm}3.9,\;1.6{\pm}2.8,\;2.9{\pm}3.2$, and $4.5{\pm}7.0$, respectively. The use of dental filling material according to region, the amalgam was the highest in Daegu and the resin was the highest in Pusan. In permanent teeth, about 70% of total filling surfaces had sealant and about 20% was resin fillings, and the proportion of amalgam filling surfaces was less than 10%.