• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.581-593
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the work environments of dental hygienists to their occupational diseases in a bid to provide some information on their health care, health promotion and the prevention of occupational diseases. Methods : The subjects in this study were 300 dental hygienists who worked in Seoul, urban communities involving large cities and rural areas. One-on-one interviews and a self-administered survey were implemented with their consent. Results : The findings of the study were as follows: 1. 60 percent of the dental hygienists investigated replied that they had occupation-related physical symptoms. By the length of service, the dental hygienists who worked for six to 10 years had the most symptoms. 2. Out of the occupation-related symptoms, the most prevalent symptom was a pain in the shoulders and neck(41%), followed by a pain in the lower back, a pain in the legs, a pain in the wrists and skin diseases. The most painful parts of the body were hands and arms. 3. In regard to the relationship between the general characteristics and the intensity of pain, the highest group of the dental hygienists in Seoul replied that they had a severe pain, and the lowest number of those in the large cities gave the same answer. 4. Concerning the cause of occupational diseases, 65.7 percent cited the wrong posture. 5. As to relationship between the general characteristics and regular hospital-visit experiences for the prevention of pain during work hours, many of the dental hygienists who were in their 40s and 50s visited hospitals from time to time, and many of those in their 20s never did that. 6. In regard to links between the general characteristics and an opinion on the necessity of regular education, many of the respondents from Seoul and urban regions involving large cities considered it necessary to receive education on a regular basis. By daily work hours, the highest number of those who worked for eight hours or less considered that necessary, and lots of those who worked for 11 hours didn't consent to that. The gaps between them were statistically significant(p<0.05). Conclusions : Given the findings of the study, daily work hours and length of service were two integral factors to affect the regular hospital-visit experiences and pain, and the wrong posture was identified as the most common cause of occupational diseases. To ensure the successful prevention of occupational diseases, dental hygiene students should be taught the importance of occupational disease before they start to work, and supplementary education should be provided for dental hygienists to work in the right posture.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.127-138
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• 2008

Dental caries in infants is a representative oral disease causing the malocclusion of permanent dentition and developmental variations in the permanent teeth, so it is very important to manage caries in infants. Thus, in order to survey mothers who visited pediatric dentistry concerning their awareness of nursing bottle caries and to obtain data necessary for developing education materials to prevent nursing bottle caries, the present study conducted a survey using a self reporting questionnaire with 205 mothers who visited the Pediatric Dentistry of a dental hospital in Cheonan with a child aged below 5 during the period from June 7 to August 2 in 2008, and obtained results as follows. 1. The awareness of dental caries was highest in the group aged over 37 months 96.8%, and next in order of age 13~24 months 96.5%, 25~36 months 94.5%, and younger than 13 months 83.3%. 2. The awareness of nursing bottle caries was highest in infants aged over 37 months 58.7%, and next, in 13~24 months 57.9% and in 25~36 months 54.8%, and lowest in infants younger than 13 months 33.3%, suggesting the necessity of education on nursing bottle caries(p=0.423). 3. As to the time of the first visit to dental clinic, 50.0% of infants younger than 13 months, 52.6% of those aged 13~24 months, and 49.3% of those aged 25~36 months replied the completion of the eruption of primary teeth, and 36.5% of those aged over 37 months replied the occurrence of dental caries. Thus, the motives for visiting dental clinic were different among the age groups, and the differences were statistically significant(p=0.005). 4. The age of toothbrushing to be started by mother's opinion was 6 months in 0.5%, 12 months in 68.8%, 18 months in 22.9%, 24 months in 5.9%, and 25 months in 1.0%, and no statistically significant difference was observed according to age. 5. The number of toothbrushing was usually once a day after meal. and increased by in age was shown statistically significantly difference(p=0.035). 6. The most frequent method of preventing nursing bottle caries was regular toothbrushing in all the age groups, and next restriction of sugar intake, regular dental consultation, and fluoridation in order The most effective prevention of dental caries was regular visit to dental clinic and next, toothbrushing after meal.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.553-560
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the dental fear of dental patients during treatment. Methods : Statistical package PASW 18.0 WIN(USA) was used to analyzed the frequency and percentage of the general characteristics. T-test and one-way ANOVA were used. Results : Females tended to have more fear than male. The first visit to dental clinic was the most important fear factor. Most of the subjects did not receive regular dental checkup because of fear since entering elementary schools. Conclusions : In order to reduce dental fear, comfortable environments may be necessary for treatment.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.825-833
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between smoking behavior and periodontitis in Korean adults. Methods: The study subjects were 4,896 from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data were analysed by chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis using SPSS 20.0 program. Results: The rate of periodontitis was 27.5%. The prevalence rate of periodontitis was closely related to socio-economic characteristics including gender, age, living area, household income, educational level, history of diabetes mellitus, and regular dental visit. The rate of periodontitis in non-smoker, ex-smoker, and current smoker were 56.7%, 19.5%, and 23.8%, respectively. Smoking behavior was significantly related to socio-economic characteristics. After adjusting for gender, age, household income, educational level, history of diabetes mellitus, and dental visit within 1 year, the risk of periodontitis in ex-smoker and current group were 1.31 (95% CI; 1.04-1.65) and 2.31 (95% CI; 1.87-2.85), respectively. Conclusions: Smoking behavior had a significant impact on periodontitis prevalence in Korean adults.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.375-385
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of attitude of mothers on the dental health and behavior of dental health management on children on the dental caries of their children, and the questionnaire survey was implemented and analyzed for 202 children in fifth and sixth grades of two elementary schools in Ulsan City along with their mothers with the following outcome. 1. 80 students from entire subject students(39.6%) are subjects of dental caries with the average DT index shown to be $1.78{\pm}1.04$ and tended to have higher in the upper level of grade. 2. In the attitude of dental health management for mother, 95 students(47.0%) visited the dental clinic within 6 months with the main purpose of treatment, rather than preventive work, for 141 students(69.8%), and hey have high level of interests on the teeth condition of their children but they rarely take a close look at the dental condition for their children. 3. The efforts of mothers on preventing the dental caries by mothers showed in the sequence of regular instructions for brushing, limiting the sugar intake, fluorine coating, sealant, regular examination and the like and DT rate will be decreased by these kinds(p<0.05). 4. The number of dental caries of children with the attitude of mother in dental health showed noticeable differences statistically with respect to the brushing method, use of dental sanitation goods, scaling, visit to dental office and others(p<0.05). With the above conclusion, the attitude and behavior of mothers on dental care influences greatly on the dental health of children. Therefore, in order to improve the dental health of children, it would be important to recognize the importance of attitude and behavior of dental health for mothers for positive dental care with the support in policies.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.202-207
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• 2000

The purpose of study was to compare the caries experience between the mentally retarded(MR) and the normal(N) children and adolescents and to survey the dental visit frequency. preventive dental care, and tooth-brushing behavior of the mentally retarded. Two hundred and fifty MR and two hundred and ten N subjects were selected for the study. 1. The number of teeth which had experienced caries was 3.28 in MR and 4.66 in N. The number of decayed teeth was 2.24 in MR and 1.50 in N. The number of filled teeth was 0.71 in MR and 3.06 in N Filled teeth rate was 19.78% in MR and 58.89% in N The differences between MR and N were all significant(P<0.01). 2. Dental visit frequency of MR was 1.15 per year, and the 51.2% of MR did not visit the dental clinic for the last one year. 38.0% of MR had received the preventive dental care. 3. Toothbrushing frequency per day was 2.16 and the toothbrushing time for 78.3% of MR was less than two minutes. 51.2% of MR brushed their teeth by themselves, 13.3% did with the help of the carers, and 35.5% totally depended on the carers. In conclusion, MR experienced less dental caries than N, had more untreated caries than N, and had need for regular preventive dental care.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1460-1467
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• 2004

Purpose. This study examined the predictive factors enabling access to children's oral health care at the level of financial barriers, beliefs, and the provider. Methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with 320 immigrant mothers of low-income families regarding their use of oral health services for children aged four to eight years old. Access to oral health care was measured with frequency of planned dental visits, continuity of care, and age at first visit to dentist. Results. The mother took her child to the dentist at a younger age if she received referrals to a dentist from pediatrician. Regular dental visits were significantly related to household income, provider availability on week-ends, and insurance coverage. The extended clinic hours in the evenings, and the belief in the importance of the child's regular dentist visits increased the likelihood of continuing care. The mothers perceiving a cost burden for the child's dental care were also less likely to return to the dentist. Conclusion. The available care delivery system, coordinated medical care, and health beliefs were among important predictors of the health service use. The study findings suggest need for culturally competent dental health interventions to enhance access to oral health care among particularly vulnerable populations such as low-income children in Korean communities.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.95-112
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• 2003

Objectives： Oral health care program for the elementary school children (ESOHCP) should be met the first priority because dental caries are highly sensitive and prevalent among them. This study was performed to enhance the efficiency of ESOHCP, and their oral health promotion. Methods： The Subjects were 346 students (3rd grade 163, 6th grade 185) of one elementary school in Busan. Dental IQ and actual oral health status； the decayed, mixing and filling teeth were checked through questionnaire and oral health examination from April to June 2002. Dental IQ was presented out of one hundred, and data analysis was done using SAS (ver 8.1) program. Results： The students' cognitive level about the causative and preventive factor of dental caries was relatively high. However, the practical aspects of preventive behavior - tooth brushing； three times per day (20％), three minutes per time (22％), oral health examination； one time per three months (10％) left much to be desired. And, only 27％ of the subjects had experienced in school oral health education. The mean level of dental IQ was 79 out of 100, and 51 ％ and 42％ of them had the decayed and teeth with filling, respectively, with the rate of DMFT 82％, DT 43％, FT 57％. The level of dental IQ was higher in case of having his (her) own tooth brush (p＝0.072), standard tooth brushing (p<0.001) three times per day, post meal, three minutes per time, present experience of oral health examination (p<0.001) and dental clinic visit (p<0.001). The grade of caries was more serious in case of 6th grade (p＝0.059), an absence of his (her) own tooth brush (p＝ 0.090), present experience of oral health examination (p＝0.021), and an absence of regular dental clinic visit (p＝0.003). The frequency of oral health examination (γ＝ 0.620), tooth brushing； times per day (γ＝0.445), post meal (γ＝0.355), expending times per brushing (γ＝0.352), right cognition to the treatment of caries (γ＝0.401), positive attitude to dental treatment (γ＝0.387), the frequency of dental clinic visit for the past one year (γ＝0.152) showed significant correlation with dental IQ. In the multivariate analysis, dental IQ was influenced by the frequency of oral health examination, right cognition to the cause of caries, times of teeth brushing per day, right cognition to the treatment of caries, etc., with adjusted R2＝0.857. Conclusion： Though the students' cognitive level about the causative and preventive factor of dental caries was high, the practical aspects of preventive behavior left much to be desired. Ant the current ESOHCP considered to be still inefficient. However, frequent dental visits had apparent correlation with hish level of dental IQ. The specialized and practical program should be needed for the efficient ESOHCP. Harmonized effort from educational, health and dental society is essential.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.405-418
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the interest level of mothers in oral health. The subjects in this study were 184 mothers whose children attended daycare centers in the city of K. A survey was conducted from March 15 through April 30, 2007, and SPSS WIN 11.5 program was employed to analyze their answer sheets. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. A group of mothers whose children brushed their teeth three times a day on the average made up 55.7 percent of those who were at the age of 35 and under. Among the mothers having three or more children, those mothers accounted for 59.1 percent. The daily mean toothbrushing frequency of children was higher among the better-educated mothers. 2. Concerning dietary and oral guidance, the mothers whose academic background was better curbed their children's excessive sugar intake more often, and the gap between them and the others was statistically significant(pE.05). As to the importance of oral health by the number of child and academic credential, those who had two children(36.0%) taught them the importance of oral health frequently(pE.01), and the better-educated mothers taught about it often(pE.05). The gap between the groups and the others was significant. 3. As for experience of visiting dental institutions, the working mothers visited dental institutions more often than the stay-at-home mothers, and the gap between them was statistically significant(pE.05). Regarding purpose of the visit, the largest group aimed to get treatment(64.6%), followed by having a dental checkup(14.6%) and receiving preventive treatment(13.5%). As to any inconveniences in using dental institutions, those who were working and who were in the upper income bracket found it more inconvenient to do that because of a long distance or time constraints. The gap between them and the others was significant. 4. In regard to concern for dental care, the mothers who were better educated(pE.001) and whose family income was 3 million won or more had their teeth scaled more often, and the gap between them and the others was statistically significant(pE.01). The rate of the regular visitors of dental institutions stood at 32.7 percent of the junior-college graduates, 31.0 percent of the mothers receiving college or higher education and 10.1 percent of the high-school graduates(pE.01). And those who earned larger income paid a visit to dental institutions more often and on a regular basis. The gap between them and the others was statistically significant(pE.05).

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.659-670
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the state of oral health care among special school personnels in an attempt to provide some information on the improvement of the oral health care of students with disabilities who would be under the first hand influence of school personnels. Methods : The subjects in this study were personnels who were selected by random selection in five different special schools located in the city of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. A self-administered survey was conducted in person from July 5 to 14 after the purpose of this study was explained. Results : 1. Concerning their general characteristics, the level of oral health knowledge was high in the personnel whose career is 5 years more, and the younger personnels had a better oral health knowledge, and the men were more knowledgeable than the women. 2. As to oral health education experience, the rate of the respondents who ever received oral health education stood at 35.3 percent. In relation to the frequency of oral health education, the biggest group that accounted for 58.2 percent received that education once. As for the route of education, the largest group that represented 52.7 percent received that education at dental hospitals or clinics. In relation to satisfaction with oral health education, the greatest group that accounted for 38.5 percent were dissatisfied with that education. 3. As for an intention of receiving oral health education in the future, the biggest group that accounted for 60.9 percent intended to receive that education if they would have free time, and the largest group that represented 47.7 percent believed that oral health education should be conducted by dental hygienists. 4. Concerning their general characteristics, the level of oral health promotion behavior according to age in both bushing and supplies of oral health care was high in forties-1.89 point and 3.33 point, and that in regular visit to a dental clinic was the highest in twenties for 2.58 point, and that in dietary control was the highest in twenties for 2.59 point. 5. Their oral health knowledge had a significant positive correlation to their toothbrushing, regular dental clinic visit and dietary control that were the subfactors of oral health promotion behavior. 6. As for the impact of oral health promotion behavior on oral health knowledge, toothbrushing exerted the greatest influence on that(${\beta}$=0.306, p<0.001). Conclusions : Appropriate institutional measures should be taken to let dental hygienists who are expert in oral health care provide incremental oral health care for students and adults with disabilities in educational institutions and facilities for the disabled, and the development of oral health education programs is urgently required to offer systematic oral health education for not only students with disabilities but their teachers and guardians.