• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 2014

Bruxism is a much-discussed clinical issue in dentistry. Although bruxism is not a life-threatening disorder, it can influence the quality of human life, especially through dental problems, such as, frequent fractures of dental restorations and pain in the orofacial region. This research has a goal to investigate the diagnostic methods of bruxism, to provide an appropriate information about various treatment in clinical situation, and to evaluate the effect and the usefulness of those methods. There is no certain remedy for bruxism that is a technically efficient and definitely reliable diagnosis and treatment. So, the primary purpose is to prevent the oral and maxilofacial tissue injuries from bruxism and to relieve the pain and symptom. Therefore, Combining various reversible treatments together, such as behavior modification, Oral appliances therapy and physiotherapy, is recommended. For a bruxism treatment in dental field, more researches about the factors influencing on diagnosis and cure are necessary.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.243-250
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• 2012

Trigeminal nerve injuries due to invasive dental procedures such as implant surgery and extraction is one of the most serious issues in dentistry and may provoke medico-legal problems. Thus, for objective and reliable assessment of nerve injury, a need of QST (quantitative sensory testing) is emphasized and thermal threshold test is an essential part of QST, reported to have acceptable reliability in the orofacial region. This pilot study aimed to evaluate thermal thresholds for limited cases of trigeminal nerve injures. The study investigated 18 clinical cases with trigeminal nerve injuries who visited Department of Oral Medicine, Dankook Univeristy Dental Hospital during the period from May 2011 to Oct 2012. Thermal thresholds was measured by Thermal Sensory Analyzer, TSA-II (Medoc, Israel). Their CDT(cold detection threshold) was significantly decreased in the affected sides compared to the unaffected sides. Other parameters such as WDT(warm detection threshold), CPT(cold pain threshold) and HPT(heat pain threshold) did not show statistical difference between the affected and unaffected sides. Further researches are required to compare thermal thresholds relative to types of nerve deficits such as thermal hyper- or hypoesthesia and hyper- or hypoalgesia for larger sample.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.190-203
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• 2003

Background: Dental hygienists are at risk of acquiring infections through exposure to infectious agents. This study explores the frequency of exposure to infectious agents and infection control practices among dental hygienists. Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional survey to examine the exposure to infectious agents and infection control practices among dental hygienists through questionnaire. Data were obtained from 124 dental hygienists attending educational conferences. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the factors that effect infection control practices in relation to age, completion of infection control education, recognition of their own serum hepatitis Ag/Ab status, the number of one day patients, location of clinics, type of clinics, and career years. Result: Of the 124 dental hygienists, 91.7% were exposed to at least one accident such as needle stick injuries during their practices periods. The health screening coverage rate in dental hygienists was 16.5%. The number of one day patients and career years were important in relation to infection control practices among dental hygienists. The adjusted odds ratio estimates for career years were 5.049 times greater(95% Cl 1.238-20.597) for groups with over 4 career years than under 2 career years. That for the number of one day patients were 0.261(95% Cl 0.071-0.955) lower for through 20 up to 30 patients, 0.531(95% Cl 0.102-2.78) lower for through 30 up to 40 patients and 0.498(95% Cl 0.123-2.017) lower for more than 40 patients than under 20 patients. Conclusion: From these results, prevalence of infection control practices among dental hygienists is related to the number of one day patients and career years. Prevention of cross infection and reduction of future transmission should be a priority to dental hygienists for promotion of infection control and further efforts to educate newcomers on infection prevention should be made.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.58-66
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• 2013

Purpose: The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) can be damaged as a result of minor oral surgical procedure such as third molar extraction or implant placement. Repair of the injured IAN involves difficulty of access, and research studies are limited to elucidating the process of regeneration by surgical methods. This study sought to establish the rabbit animal model to apply polymeric membrane functionalized with nerve growth factor after a crush lesion for the evaluation of nerve regeneration using the electrophysiologic method. Materials and Methods: The IAN of 2 adult male New Zealand white rabbits (4 nerves) were exposed bilaterally, and crush injury rendered by jeweler's forceps was applied. Nerve conduction velocity was examined electrophysiologically using electromyography before, after, and 4 weeks after the crush injury. To evaluate the regeneration, the pattern of action potential of IAN was recorded, and the characteristics of neurons were histologically observed. Result: After the crush injury, afferent activity decreased in the injured group. Electromyography could not be recorded after four weeks because tissues surrounding the injured nerve collapsed. Decrease in the mean number of axons was observed in the injured part with membrane. Conclusion: Despite the limited result, the present animal model study may provide a possible way to research on the methods of enhancing the recovery of nerve injuries in clinical situations. For clinically widespread acceptance, however, it should gain more consecutive and scientific evidences.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.131-143
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• 1984

150 rats weighting about 150gm were devided into control group of 80 and experimental group of 70. Control group was subdivided into the irradiated vitamin D injection group and X-ray irradiated group. Experimental group was given 2.0mg ergocalciferol by four intramuscular injection prior to X-ray irradiation with single 800 rads and 1,500 rads respectively. Experimental animals from each group was sacrificed after 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days and their incisors were investigated by histopathological examination. The results were as follows; 1. In the irradiated groups, it showed dentin hypoplasia and formation of dentinoid substance caused by degeneration of odontoblast at the early stage. Especially, 1,500 rads group which was severely effected showed formation of osteoid dentin at the apical portion and severe injuries of dental papilla at the first week. 2. In the vitamin D2 administration group, it showed thinned dentin layer at the early stage but, taking time, predentin and dentin layer was thickened. At the fourth week, dentin was chiefly composed of interglobular dentin, especially in the lingual portion. 3. Using in combination of overdose vitamin D2 administration and X-ray irradiation, it effected severely odontoblast, undifferentiated mesenchymal cells around tooth germ and pulp tissue. At the early stage, dentin layer was thinned but, taking time, it was thickened and composed of interglobular dentin caused by calcification of predentin layer. 4. In 800 rads irradiation after the overdose vitamin D2 administration, it showed formation of osteoid dentin in the lingual portion at the first week. In the 1,500 rads irradiation after the overdose vitamin D2 administration, it showed formation of osteoid dentin and degeneration of ameloblast in both buccal and lingual portion at the first week, and enamel hypoplasia caused by edema and loss of polarity of ameloblasts at the second week. 5. By the entire experiment, the overdose vitamin D2 administration and X-ray irradiation effected severely odontoblasts, undifferentiated mesenchymal cells of dental papilla, and primitive cells of tooth germ among the dental tissue. Especially using combination of overdose vitamin D2 administration and X-ray irradiation also effected ameloblasts, resulting in enamel hypoplasia.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.603-613
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• 2011

Objectives : This study is to investigate factors that predispose the oral health education patterns of teachers at preschool institutions such as kindergartens and day nurseries, for which a comparison was made among the patterns, whereto the PRECEDE model was applied. Methods : A survey was conducted by two visits, a preliminary survey and a main survey, and teachers at the foregoing institutions personally filled in the questionnaire. Results : 1. With relation to epidemiological and social diagnosis, the largest number of respondents (53.7%) agreed on the need for oral health education, but at the same time, the largest number of respondents (40.3%) was unsatisfactory with oral health education given by them. 2. With relation to behavioral diagnosis, there were many cases where respondents taught their students to brush their teeth after meals and snacks. Oral health education was focused on safety and injuries. There was no significant intergroup difference (p>0.05). 3. Predisposing factors (a subcategory of educational diagnosis) showed the following results: As for the frequency of oral health education, most respondents at both institutions answered preferred once every six month (p>0.05). In the case of oral health checkup, 75.4% of respondents at kindergartens preferred once a year. 72.2% of respondents at day nurseries preferred the same frequency. They showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). In enabling factors, it was found that most respondents at both institutions collected information and teaching materials from mass media and public health centers respectively. In enabling factors, insufficient teaching materials, media and knowledge were found to be obstacles to oral health education. Conclusions : Oral healthcare providers' cooperation is required to diversify away from tooth brushing-centered education and to enrich oral health education. In addition, continuous supplements are required to make teachers at preschool institutions acquire expert knowledge and give oral health education with confidence. Moreover, it needs to train them for various education programs as well as to support them with educational media. Lastly, family members' cooperation is required to develop oral health education programs.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.116-120
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• 2012

The buccal fat pad is specialized fat tissue located anterior to the masseter muscle and deep to the buccinator muscle. Possessing a central body and four processes it provides separation allowing gliding motion between muscles, protects the neurovascular bundles from injuries, and maintains facial convexity. Because of its many advantageous functions, the use of the buccal fat pad during oral and maxillofacial procedures is promoted for the reconstruction of defects secondary to tumor resection, and those defects resulting from oroantral fistula caused by dento-alveolar surgery or trauma. We used the pedicled buccal fat pad in the reconstruction of intraoral defects such as oroantral fistula, maxillary posterior bone loss, or defects resulting from tumor resection. Epithelization of the fat tissue began 1 week after the surgery and demonstrated stable healing without complications over a long-term period. Thus, we highly recommend the use of this procedure.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 1999

This study was based on a series of 164 patients with zygomatic bone fracture treated at Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Chonnam University Hospital from January 1992 to December 1996. The male-to-female ratio was 7:1. Their ages ranged from 8 to 78 years, with a median age of 35.6 years. The age frequency was highest in the second decade (30.5%), and third decade (23.8%), fifth decade (16.5%) in orders. The monthly distrbution of incidence showed October to be the month in which the greatest percentage occured (14.0%). The major cause of zygomatic bone fracture was alleged traffic accidents (53.7%). The incidence of concomitant facial bone fractures was 69,5%, and maxilla fracture (52.4%) was most frequently combined. The admission route was through emergency room (72.3%) and through outpatient department (26.8%). The incidence of associated injuries was 37.2%. The intraoral approach was the major method of treatment in zygomatic bone fracture (57.1%). The most frequent type of zygoma fracture was class IV (33.5%), and class III (25.6%) was next in order of frequency. Complications were enophthalmos (7.3%), facial asymmetry (6.7%), paresthesia (6.1%), and diplopia (2.4%) These results suggest that correct diagnosis and treatment of severity of fracture, concomitant fracture, and associated injuries are necessary, and co-operative treatment with medical department should be performed to reduce postoperative complication.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2012

Purpose : Dental trauma is frequently unpredictable. The initial assessment and urgent treatment are essential for dentists to save the patient's teeth. Mobile-phone-assisted teleconsultation and telediagnosis for dental trauma could be an aid when a dentist is not available. In the present in-vitro study, we evaluated the success rate and time to transfer images under various conditions. Materials and Methods : We analyzed the image quality of cameras built into mobile phones based on their resolution, autofocus, white-balance, and anti-movement functions. Results : The image quality of most built-in cameras was acceptable to perform the initial assessment, with the autofocus function being essential to obtain high-quality images. The transmission failure rate increased markedly when the image size exceeded 500 kB and the additional text messaging did not improve the success rate or the transmission time. Conclusion : Our optimal protocol could be useful for emergency programs running on the mobile phones.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.110-113
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• 2012

Complications resulting from condylar fracture include occlusal disturbance due to loss of leverage from temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In general, closed reduction with active physical training has been performed, and under favorable circumstances, adaptation occurs in attempt to restore the articulation. The patient in this case report had unilateral condylar fracture accompanied with multiple teeth injuries, but he was left without any dental treatment for 1 mon which led to unrestorable occlusal collapse. Fortunately, delayed surgical repositioning of dislocated maxillary anterior teeth followed by consistent long-term physical training has been proved successful. Normal occlusion and satisfactory remodeling of condyle were obtained on 10 mon follow-up.