• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.225-231
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• 2021

There are many studies on the indications and efficacy of splint therapy commonly used in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). However, there have been no studies on the splint weaning in terms of the splint use tapering period in relation to symptom improvement of TMD. This retrospective study aims to analyze a proper splint weaning method in patients with TMD based on symptom improvement. Materials and Methods: The authors examined 130 TMD patients with TMJ disorders, masticatory muscle disorders, and clenching/bruxism who had received splint therapy (occlusion stabilization splint, anterior positioning splint) of patients who visited the Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine at Yonsei University Dental Hospital from 2015 to 2020. They were evaluated according to the method to wean splints. Results: The mean splint therapy period was 29.0 months, during which patients wore splints 7 days a week for 8.4 months, 3 - 4 days a week for 9.5 months, and finally 1 - 2 days a week for 11.1 months (a total of 29.0 months, about 2.5 years). Conclusion: It seems that TMD symptoms can be alleviated and side effects such as occlusal change can be minimized if patients wear a splint 7 days a week for the first 6 months, followed by 3 - 4 days a week for the next 6 to 18 months, and finally 1 - 2 days a week after 18 months.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.71-79
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• 2022

Excessive crown height space increases can cause crestal bone loss and screw loosening after prosthesis is placed. Milled bar and implant overdenture can be used as a treatment method for partially edentulous patients who have severe alveolar bone loss and excessive crown height space. Milled bar can provide primary splinting effect and stability between implants. Also, milled bar with additional retention device such as Advanced Dental Device-Treatment Of Choice (ADD-TOC) and magnet can provide additional retention force for implant overdenture. In this case, the patient has a partially edentulous mandible that has severe alveolar bone loss and multiple number of teeth loss after excision due to leiomyosarcoma. Because of the long-term loss of mandibular molars, the opposing teeth were extruded. Maxillary left molars were corrected to the occlusal plane through molar intrusion, and mandibular left molar region were treated with implant overdenture, using milled bar with ADD-TOC and magnet after implant placement. The clinical result was satisfactory on the aspect of esthetic and masticatory function.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.404-411
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• 2022

The patient in this case was an 80-year-old female who had lost #16, 13, 26, 37, 36, 35, 44, 45, 46, 47 teeth. The patient showed loss of posterior support, loss of vertical dimension of occlusion, and deep anterior overbite. Her chief complaint was esthetic and functional discomfort. She wanted to restore normal facial aesthetic shape and masticatory function through prosthetic treatment. Clinical evaluation, radiographic examinations, and facial and oral analysis were performed. Interocclusal rest space was excessive than the average. Distance between labial vestibules and zenith of central incisors, and lower facial ratio were below the average. Taken together, occlusal rehabilitation was determined through increasing 4 mm of vertical dimension on premolars. In this case, a patient who lacked restoration space with deep bite in the anterior region due to loss of the posterior teeth support restored a stable occlusal relationship and harmonious anterior and lateral guidance through fixed and removable prosthesis with increased vertical dimension.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.412-419
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• 2022

For treatment of partially edentulous patients, a treatment using implant is widely used. Treatment method using implant are implant fixed prostheses and removable partial dentures, and for patients with severe bone resorption, removable implant overdenture with the effects of aesthetic and reducing cost can be used as treatment options. Specially, prosthesis with milled-bar and attachment has the effect of being splinted between implant fixtures, higher retention and stability than conventional removable partial denture. And it has the effect of improvement of aesthetic through lip support by denture base. In this case, the patient with severe alveolar bone resorption and partial edentulous maxilla and mandible was treated by implant-assisted removable partial denture using Milled-bar and ADD-TOC attachment. The esthetic was improved by removing the clasp because of effects of additional retention by using the attachment, and reducing palatal coverage of implant-assisted removable partial denture. The clinical results were satisfactory on the aspect of aesthetic and masticatory function.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2023

Although tooth wear is a normal process due to aging, severe tooth wear causes various complications such as increased tooth sensitivity, loss of tooth structure, and pulp complications. In the treatment of patients with excessive tooth wear, the evaluation of loss of vertical occlusal dimension should be prioritized. If it is necessary to increase the vertical dimension to secure the restoration space, it is important to establish a treatment plan with the comprehensive analysis and determine the minimum vertical dimension elevation. In this case, 66-year-old male patient with severe worn dentition wanted to restore masticatory function and improve esthetic restoration. In order to determine the appropriate vertical dimension of the patient, we evaluated oral examination, radiographic examination, and diagnostic cast examination, and performed rehabilitation with minimum vertical dimension elevation. As a result of observation for 8 months, the definitive prosthesis was completed with contact of all teeth in centric occlusion, and proper anterior/posterior guidance. Through the above process, satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes were obtained.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.214-221
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• 2023

In order to fabricate stable dentures in patients with severe resorption of residual ridges, various factors must be considered. One of them is the neutral zone, which is defined as the potential region in which the pressure of the tongue outward in the oral cavity and the pressure of the cheeks and lips directed inward from the outside of the oral cavity equalize during functioning. In patients with severe ridge resorption, if the teeth are usually arranged above the residual ridge, the teeth are located on the lingual side rather than the original position. Therefore, the functional space of the tongue is invaded, the tongue is positioned backward, and the sealing of the lingual border is broken, which acts as a factor reducing the maintenance of denture. In addition, it is also important for the stability of dentures to assume an interalveolar crest line connecting the maxillary and mandibular ridge crests, and to arrange the maxillary and mandibular artificial teeth to match the masticatory force to the interalveolar crest line. Therefore, good clinical results were obtained by fabricating dentures for the patient with poor alveolar residual ridge using neutral zone impression and ridge relationship analysis.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 2015

Due to the limitations of conventional removable partial denture prostheses to treat a cleft lip & palate patient who shows scar tissue on upper lip, excessive absorption of the maxillary residual alveolar ridge, and class III malocclusion with narrow palate and undergrowth of the maxilla, 4 implants were placed on the maxillary edentulous region and a maxillary removable implant-supported partial denture was planned using a CAD/CAM milled titanium bar. Unlike metal or gold casting technique which has shrinkage after the molding, CAD/CAM milled titanium bar is highly-precise, economical and lightweight. In practice, however, it is very hard to obtain accurate friction-fit from the milled bar and reduction in retention can occur due to repetitive insertion and removal of the denture. Various auxiliary retention systems (e.g. $ERA^{(R)}$, $CEKA^{(R)}$, magnetics, $Locator^{(R)}$ attachment), in order to deal with these problems, can be used to obtain additional retention, cost-effectiveness and ease of replacement. Out of diverse auxiliary attachments, $Locator^{(R)}$ has characteristics that are dual retentive, minimal in vertical height and convenient of attachment replacement. Drill and tapping method is simple and the replacement of the metal female part of $Locator^{(R)}$ attachment is convenient. In this case, the $Locator^{(R)}$ attachment is connected to the milled titanium bar fabricated by CAD/CAM, using the drill and tapping technique. Afterward, screw holes were formed and 3 $Locator^{(R)}$ attachments were secured with 20 Ncm holding force for additional retention. Following this procedure, satisfactory results were obtained in terms of aesthetic facial form, masticatory function and denture retention, and I hereby report this case.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2011

Purpose: In cases when implant supported overdenture is made by using standard size implant, additional procedure such as bone surgery and bone grafting can be required. And it gives burden to doctor and patient in terms of cost. Therefore, it is necessary to find the implant therapy for the edentulous patients in making denture with accordable cost and simple procedure. Materials and methods: Edentulous patients with upper and lower dentures participated in this study. Before the operation, survey about patient's satisfaction to the existing dentures was carried out. Surgical procedures included four small diameter implants installation anterior area and immediate loading. One and three month after the procedure, the same survey about patient's satisfaction was carried out, and radiography was taken. Results: We are doing research to the nine patients. Survival rate is 97.2 percent. The comparison of patient's satisfaction before and after surgery is performed based on oral health impact profile 49. We analyze mainly with masticatory discomfort, retention, aesthetics, social problem, psychological discomfort problems. As a result, satisfaction level is increased at all factors. Retention is the most increased satisfactory factor followed by mastication difficulty, pronunciation, psychological discomfort, social discomfort, aesthetics in order. Marginal bone loss is 0.21 mm at 12 weeks after implant placement. Conclusion: This research reveals that the denture supported by mini dental implant increases patient's satisfaction. This study will be continued with more patients for a long time and we are scheduled for taking additional radiography to check whether peri-implant bone resorption occurs or not.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2006

Most patients suffering from TMD appear to have unsatisfactory masticatory function and compromised values of bite force. The purposes of this study were to investigate and compare bite force between affected and unaffected sides of patients with unilateral TMD and to evaluate its relation with duration of TMD. 42 patients with unilateral TMD, from Department of Oral Medicine, Dankook University Dental Hospital, were selected for this study. The ratio of men to women was 9:33 and their mean age of $27.2{\pm}10.4$ years. The bite forces were measured over both canines (for anterior bite force) and $1^{st}$ molars (for posterior bite force) using a bite force recorder while all the subjects were asked to clench successively for 3 seconds not until pain was felt. They were compared with those measured from bilateral TMD patients(N=6, M:F=1:5, mean age: $23.0{\pm}27.3$ years). The unilateral TMD patients were divided into time groups according to duration of TMD on the basis of 1 and 6 months, respectively. Paired and unpaired t-tests were used for statistical analysis. Unilateral TMD patients in this study showed that the affected sides had significantly lower bite force than the unaffected sides(force difference of about 7-8 kgf, p<0.05) while there was no significant sides difference in the bilateral patients. Nor did bite force on the affected sides reveal significant difference between unilateral and bilateral TMD patients. With regards to TMD duration, there was significant difference between the patients with TMD < 6 months and $\geq$ 6 months (p<0.05) while no significant difference existed between < 1 month and $\geq$ 1 month. The results of this study indicated that unilateral TMD patients can exhibit more reduced bite force on the affected sides compared with that on the unaffected sides and that bite force on the unaffected sides might be deteriorated more as longer did TMD last.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 2011

Oromandibular dystonia (OMD) is a form of focal dystonia that affects the masticatory, facial and lingual muscles in any variety of combinations, which results in repetitive involuntary and possibly painful jaw opening, closing, deviation or a combination of these movements. This study aimed to investigate clinical features and treatment type of OMD patients. By retrospective chart review, the study was conducted to consecutive OMD patients who visited a department of Oral Medicine and Orofacial Pain Clinic in a university dental hospital during Aug 2007 to Apr 2010. 78 OMD patients were identified with female preponderance (M:F=1:3.6) and a mean age of 72 years. Their mean duration of OMD was about 10 months. The most common chief complaints at the first visit was jaw ache, followed by uncontrolled, repetitive movement of the jaw and/or oral tissues, pain in the oral region(p=0.000). The most common subtype of OMD was lateral jaw-deviation dystonia, followed by combination and jaw-closing dystonia(p=0.001). While no apparent cause was recognized in over 60% of the OMD patients, peripheral trauma including dental treatment such as prosthetic treatment and extraction was the most frequently reported as precipitating factor(p=0.000). Medication was the 1st line therapy for our patients and anxiolytics such as clonazepam was given to most of them. Based on the results of this study, OMD is the disease of the elderly, particularly of women and causes orofacial pain and compromises function of orofacial region. Some patients considered dental treatment a precipitating factor. Dentists, therefore, should have knowledge of symptoms and treatment of OMD.