• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2020

Background: This study investigated the status of oral health promotion activities for adult workers in public health centers and industrial dental offices and provided basic data for the model development of oral health promotion program for adult workers in Korea. Methods: A questionnaire was developed separately according to the person who in charge of the oral health promotion activities in public health centers nationwide and dental hygienists working in 20 industrial dental offices. This survey was conducted through postal survey and consisted of 29 items and 35 items respectively, including 19 common items for general information, oral health promotion program status and opinion. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS ver. 23.0. Results: We analyzed the data of 147 public health centers (57.9%) and 9 industrial dental offices (45.0%). A workforce with a lack of practice was the biggest barrier to oral health promotion activities for adult workers. However, both groups showed high intention for the practice of adult worker's oral health promotion activities. Also, they showed willingness to work together in an organic partnership to perform their roles (94.4% and 77.8%, respectively). Regarding the scope of cooperation in the implementation of the industrial oral health promotion activity linked to the public health center, dental hygienists of industrial dental offices responded that they could coordinate necessary matters and schedule management. Conclusion: The development of an oral health promotion program aided by the relationship between public health centers and industrial dental offices is essential for the oral health promotion of adult workers. The possibility of cooperation between the abovementioned centers was confirmed through this study. In a long-term perspective, it would be necessary to identify a method to institutionalize industrial dental hygienists for the provision of continuous oral health care in workplaces.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.247-253
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate guidelines and safety and precautionary devices for prevention of needlestick injuries in dental offices. This study conducted comparative analysis on the domestic and overseas guidelines for infection control and surveyed safety and precautionary devices for prevention of needlestick injuries. Based on the result of analysis and survey, this study suggests safety and precautionary guidelines to prevent needlestick injuries. To prevent needlestick injuries, staff in dental offices should be well aware of the guidelines for infection control and how to use safety and precautionary devices.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.282-293
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of infection control implemented at dental offices and factors affecting it in an attempt to help promote the health of dental health care workers. The subjects in this study were 180 medical personnels who worked at dental offices in the region of South Jeolla Province. A self-administered survey was conducted from April 1 to May 30, 2008, and the collected data were analyzed. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. As for the implementation of infection control at the dental offices, what the health care workers investigated did the most was post-treatment hand washing(95.0), a constant separation of infectious wastes(94.4), wearing rubber gloves all the time during medical instrument cleansing(92.8) and pre-treatment hand washing(91.7). 2. In regard to the implementation of infection control at the dental offices, what the dental personnels did the least was drying their hands with air(5.0), wearing goggles in times of treatment(23.3), receiving regular education on infection control(26.7) and putting sterilizers to a performance test on a regular basis(43.9). 3. The dental health care workers were significantly different according to age in the management of contagious diseases(p=0.005). Their career made a significant difference to the management of contagious diseases(p=0.000) and instrument cleansing/sterilization(p=0.043). The service area made a significant difference to wearing and managing personal protective clothes (p=0.040) and waste management(p=0.040). 4. Concerning the relationship between the acquisition of dental hygienist certificate and the practice of infection control, whether the dental health care workers were certified or not made no significant difference to that. 5. As to the correlation among the factors affecting the prevention and management of contagious diseases, there was a positive correlation among hand washing(r=0.379), wearing and managing personal protective clothes(r=0.349), instrument cleansing/sterilization(r=0.323) and waste management(r=0.388). All the factors made a statistically significant difference to the prevention and management of contagious diseases(p<0.01).

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.42
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• pp.25.1-25.13
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• 2020

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes serious acute respiratory diseases including pneumonia and bronchitis with approximately 2.3% fatality occurrence. Main body: This study argues the main concepts that need to be considered for the gradual reopening of dental offices include treatment planning approaches, fundamental elements needed to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus in dental healthcare settings, personal protection equipment (PPE) for dental health care providers, environmental measures, adjunctive measures, and rapid point of care tests in dental offices. Conclusion: This article seeks to provide an overview of existing scientific evidence to suggest a guideline for reopening dental offices.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.23 no.2 s.189
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• pp.165-170
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• 1985

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.469-476
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the stains causing infections in dental clinics by analyzing bacterial contamination, as well as to suggest improvements for infection control in dental clinics. Methods: In this study, a questionnaire survey of 47 dental hospitals and clinics located in Gyeonggi-do and Incheon, South Korea was administered from June 2013 to September 2013 and used to investigate the practice rates of infection control by dental hygienists and to analyze the bacterial contamination levels in dental offices. Results: In the studied institutions, the bacterial contamination levels of water lines were $20.9{\times}10^3$ colony forming units (CFU)/mL for three-way syringes, $12.7{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ for high-speed handpieces and $9.8{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ for gargling water. The bacterial contamination levels of surfaces were $44.9{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ in cuspidors, higher than in unit chairs ($2.9{\times}10^3CFU/mL$) and light handles ($6.7{\times}10^3CFU/mL$). The mean bacterial cell count of water lines and surfaces was relatively high in all establishments founded 11 years ago or more, and the mean bacterial cell count of waterline handpieces was $6.27{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ in establishments founded between one and five years ago, $11.16{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ six to ten years ago and $20.04{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ 11 years ago or more, which suggests that earlier foundation is associated with higher bacterial contamination levels with a statistical difference (p<0.01). Similarly, the mean bacterial cell count of cuspidors using water from water lines was also $70.16{\times}10^3CFU/mL$ in at least 11-year-old establishments, statistically significantly higher among in one- to five-year-old ($4.61{\times}10^3CFU/mL$) and six- to ten-year-old clinics ($47.89{\times}10^3CFU/mL$) (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study may be utilized to improve the bacterial contamination levels in dental offices by controlling the characteristics and environmental factors of dental offices that affect the microbial contamination of waterlines and surfaces in such institutions.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2007

This study was performed with the questionnaire survey on mercury knowledge and mercury exposure avoidance behavior, which was conducted among 1076 dental personnel in September, 2004. As for the factors effecting the mercury knowledge, it seems that they are closely related with the personnel's educational backgrounds, and their understandings of causing environmental hazardousness in the dental offices. And also, the factors effecting the behavior of mercury exposure avoidance are strongly connected with the knowledge points on mercury, the knowledge of air states in the dental clinic offices, the use of pincettes and gloves in squeezing, and rubber dam and gloves in mulling, the experience of environmental education on mercury, etc. In the survey, the higher points in mercury knowledge is closely related with the higher points in the behavior of mercury exposure avoidance. Nevertheless, the very fact that the lower points in the behavior among personnel takes on the aspect of the relatively higher points in knowledge on mercury may be understood that the generally acquired knowledge on mercury cannot be the critical factor of the behavior of mercury exposure avoidance.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the state of convenience facilities for the disabled in dental institutions in an effort to provide some information on the improvement of the accessibility of disabled people to dental institutions. A survey was conducted on the licensed dental institutions in the city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, from March to April, 2011. The findings of the study were as follows. The dental offices were the majority of the dental institutions investigated, and for the establishment of the dental institutions. Some of the offices were established before 1990, and some were established in 2011. The time period of establishment varied within the offices. As for the location of the dental institutions within the buildings, they were mostly on the second or third floor. Regarding the convenience facilities for the disabled, the most installed convenience facilities were boardwalks and elevators, and the least installed ones were parking lots and restrooms for the disabled. The hospitals and public dental centers were equipped with all the convenience facilities investigated in this study. Overall, the dental institutions that were established in and after 2006 were equipped with more convenience facilities than the dental institutions that were established before 1990. And the dental clinics that were on the third or higher floor were more equipped with elevators and outdoor slope ways than those that were on the first or second floor. Therefore the revision of the law is required to urge even the primary dental institutions to compulsorily install the convenience facilities. The findings of the study are expected to make a contribution to the improvement of the accessibility of disabled people to dental institutions.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.141-149
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• 2019

Objectives: To investigate the real-world re-use of disposable dental supplies (DDS) in dental offices and assess the relationship between general characteristics of dental hygienists and reuse of DDS, with respect to infection control characteristics. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 277 dental hygienists to assess their general characteristics, awareness of infection control/DDS management, and re-use of DDS. Nine DDS were categorized into the following categories based on their purpose: Critical, Semicritical, Noncritical, and Personal protective equipment (PPE). The association between general characteristics of dental hygienists and re-use of DDS, with respect to infection control characteristics, was assessed using the chi-squared test. Results: All 9 DDS were re-used to different extents. The highest reuse rate of supplies were for masks (64.6%), prophylaxis cups (61.0%) and plastic saliva ejectors (30.0%). Overall, 89.5% of the participants re-used DDS; subgroup analysis showed the following proportions of specific DDS re-use: PPE 66.4%; Semicritical DDS 63.9%; Noncritical DDS 19.5%; and Critical DDS 1.8%. Based on the type of clinic, the rate of re-use was higher in dental clinics than dental hospitals. Thus, the re-use of DDS may be caused by inappropriate or nonexistent guidelines or habitual practice, rather than the awareness or attitude of dental hygienists. Conclusions: In order to ensure a safe environment within the dental clinic, DDS classifications must be clearly outlined in the dental infection control guidelines; moreover, additional studies are needed regarding the regulations for DDS re-use and disposal.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.459-464
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to minimize cross infection that can take place within dental office, to make dental workers recognize importance of infection management, and to improve dental-care environment that is exposed to infection. Methods : It conducted the self-reported questionnaire survey on the practice of wearing PPE(personal protective equipment) from April 1, 2008 to May 30 targeting 180 dental workers who are working for dental offices where are located in Jeonnam region. Results : 1. As for research subjects' general characteristics, age was the largest in under 29 years old with 75.0%. It was surveyed to be large in over 5 years(56.1%) for working career, in a city(83.3%) for working region, and in having licence of dental hygienist(75.0%). 2. As a result of surveying the practice of wearing PPE, wearing mask given dental care was surveyed to have the highest practice level with 75.6%. Wearing protective glasses showed the lowest practice ratio with 23.3%. 3. As a result of surveying the difference in the practice of wearing PPE according to general characteristics, the difference according to the working region was surveyed to be the greatest. Conclusions : As the above result, the education of infection management for dental workers needs to be performed continuously even after curriculum of school. Even the in-service education on infection management needs to be vitalized. Also, the necessity was examined for always recognizing and practicing importance of infection by using a method of publishing newsletter via post to dental clinics where are located in rural area, with considering regional deviation.