Objectives: Shared decision-making (SDM) has emerged as a crucial approach to patient-centered care in dentistry, especially when multiple treatment options and preference-sensitive decisions are involved. This study aimed at reviewing the concept of SDM and its associated models, assessing its relevance to dental decision-making, and exploring the role of dental hygienists within an interprofessional framework. Methods: This study reviewed the literature on SDM and dental decision-making, focusing on the concept of SDM, key communication models, decision aids, interprofessional decision-making structures, their applicability in dental practice, and the role of dental hygienists. Results: Our findings showed that SDM integrates evidence-based information with patient values and preferences and can be implemented through structured communication models. Dental care involves multiple treatment options and irreversible procedures, highlighting the need for SDM. Decision aids enhance patients’ understanding and comparison of options, thereby improving decision quality. Dental hygienists play a crucial role as decision coaches in SDM adoption by facilitating patient education, clarifying patient values, and providing decision support. Conclusions: SDM enhances patient-centered care and improves patient satisfaction as well as decision quality. The interprofessional implementation of SDM requires the active involvement of the dental team, particularly dental hygienists. Further research is required to promote SDM in dental care settings.
Objectives: To evaluate the effects of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) application after pulp injury amplified excitability in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) using electrophysiological optical imaging. Beyond simple pulp shielding, the therapeutic potential of MTA lies in inhibiting pain-related signal transmission and alleviating ganglion-level sensitization associated with pulpitis pain. Methods: Pulpitis was induced using allyl isothiocyanate in C57BL/6 mice. MTA was applied to the exposed pulp after pulp injury. Neuronal activity in the TG was recorded using voltage-sensitive dye-based optical imaging. The expression of inflammation-related molecules and pain-associated pathways protein was evaluated by western blot analysis. Results: Optical imaging demonstrated that the MTA-treated group showed markedly reduced spatiotemporal neural activity compared with the pulpitis group. The activated area was also reduced, indicating attenuation of pulpitis-induced TG sensitization. In the TG, the pulpitis group exhibited significantly increased expression of the inflammatory pain factors. TRPV1 and pERK, which are associated with pain sensitization, compared with the control group. In contrast, the MTA-treated group showed significantly reduced expression of these pain-related proteins. Conclusions: These findings suggest that MTA may serve as an effective therapeutic strategy in root canal treatment and in reducing pain-related signaling activity.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between age at alcohol initiation and chewing discomfort among Korean adults. Methods: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Phase IX (2022–2023) were analyzed for 5,033 adults. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between age at alcohol initiation and chewing discomfort after adjusting for confounding variables. Results: After adjustment for confounding variables, adults who initiated alcohol drinking at 12 years of age or younger showed significantly higher odds of chewing discomfort compared with non-drinkers (odds ratio=2.73). Conclusions: Systematic oral health education for elementary school students, including alcohol abstinence benefits, should be strengthened.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine regional disparities in dental scaling utilization among Korean adults and to identify individual- and community-level factors associated with its use. Methods: Data from the 2024 Korea Community Health Survey (n=231,652 adults aged ≥19 years) were analyzed. The dependent variable was dental scaling utilization within the past year. Individual-level variables included sociodemographic characteristics, oral health behaviors, and mental health factors. Community-level variables, including dental infrastructure and socioeconomic indicators, were obtained from national statistics. Complex-sample analyses and multilevel logistic regression were conducted using STATA version 18.0, with the significance level set at p<0.05. Results: The overall scaling utilization rate was 56.4%, with substantial regional variation (range: 22.3%–74.8%). At the individual level, higher education and income, female sex, and healthier behaviors (e.g., tooth brushing, non-smoking, lower stress, no depression) were associated with higher utilization. At the community level, greater dental workforce density, higher fiscal capacity, and higher social welfare expenditure were associated with increased utilization. Multilevel analysis showed that although individual factors explained most of the variance, significant regional differences remained. Conclusions: Dental scaling utilization is influenced by both individual- and community-level factors. Reducing regional disparities in dental infrastructure and strengthening equity-oriented preventive oral health policies are needed.
Objectives: This study examined the associations between physical, mental, and oral health factors and chewing discomfort among adult workers aged 19–64 years using data from the 9th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2022–2024). Methods: The study included 7,613 adult workers. General characteristics, physical activity, physical health, oral health, and mental health factors were analyzed as independent variables, with chewing discomfort serving as the dependent variable. Data were analyzed using complex sample cross-tabulation and logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of chewing discomfort was 12.4%. It occurred more frequently among workers aged ≥ 40 years, those employed in production roles, and those with lower educational attainment and income levels. A lack of leisure-time physical activity and insufficient aerobic activity were associated with a higher risk of chewing discomfort. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, toothache, previous dental implant experiences, poor subjective oral health status, anxiety, and high stress were also significantly associated with chewing discomfort. Conclusions: Chewing discomfort among adult workers is associated with a range of physical, mental, and oral health factors. Therefore, comprehensive multidimensional strategies that encompass chronic disease management, mental health support, physical activity promotion, and preventive oral health care are essential.
Objectives: To evaluate the longitudinal association between periodontal disease (PD) and incident ICD-10 N02-coded recurrent and persistent hematuria (RPH), a claims-based indicator of early glomerular injury, over 11 years of follow-up and to assess whether this association was modified by diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort from 2002 to 2015. A total of 208,047 adults were followed for incident N02-coded RPH. Baseline PD, diabetes, and outcome events were identified using ICD-10 codes. Cox proportional hazards models were sequentially adjusted for sociodemographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, and cardiometabolic comorbidities. Results: Kaplan–Meier analysis showed significantly lower RPH-free survival among individuals with PD, with a more pronounced divergence among individuals with DM. In an unadjusted analysis, PD was associated with an increased hazard of incident ICD-10 N02-coded RPH in both individuals with and without DM. However, after full covariate adjustment, the association remained statistically significant only among individuals with DM (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.35). In contrast, no significant association was observed in individuals without DM. Conclusions: PD was associated with incident ICD-10 N02-coded RPH only in individuals with concurrent diabetes after full adjustment. These findings suggest a modest epidemiological association between PD and claims-based indicators of early glomerular injury in adults with diabetes. Because ICD-10 N02 is a nonspecific proxy outcome, these results should be interpreted cautiously.
Objectives: We investigated the impact of providing care for grandchildren on chewing difficulty among older adults to provide evidence for oral health promotion and social support policies. Methods: Data from 8,499 participants aged 65 years and older from the 2023 Survey of Older Koreans were analyzed to elucidate relationships among participant characteristics, caregiving status, and chewing difficulty. Results: Chewing difficulty was significantly higher among late-stage elderly individuals (46.9%) than among early stage elderly individuals (20.7%) and among those in the lowest income quintile (45.2%) than among those in the highest income quintile (17.2%) (p<0.05). Functional limitations and chronic diseases respectively increased the prevalence of chewing difficulty by 2.3 and 2.8 fold (p<0.05). While univariate analysis showed a lower prevalence of chewing difficulty among elderly care providers, the statistical significance disappeared in the final model (Model 3) after controlling for age and functional status, suggesting a “healthy caregiver effect,” where individuals in superior physical conditions selectively participate in caregiving. Conclusions: Periodic oral health monitoring of elderly caregivers is essential to protect their health rights. Tailored oral health education should be implemented within social support frameworks to address gaps in caregiving and promote healthy social participation.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of health literacy on the relationship between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and problems with oral function among postmenopausal women in Korea. Data were obtained from the 2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The findings will inform strategies to enhance health literacy and promote sustainable oral health management. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2023 KNHANES, which was first year to include a health literacy index. Participants were divided into groups based on GAD status. Complex sampling analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0, and the PROCESS macro. Model 4. was applied to test the direct, indirect, and total effects of health literacy on the relationship between GAD and oral health problems. Results: After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities, health literacy was found to have a statistically significant mediating effect on the relationship between GAD and both chewing and speaking difficulties. Conclusions: GAD in postmenopausal women was associated with decreased oral function, and health literacy played a mediating role in alleviating this negative effect. It is recommended that oral health education programs that improve both anxiety management and health literacy are developed and implemented.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between oral frailty and leisure activities among older adults and to identify the moderating effect of gender. Methods: A survey was disseminated among 272 older adults aged ≥65 years at senior welfare centers in Chungcheongnam-do and Chungcheongbuk-do to obtain information regarding oral frailty and participation in leisure activities. Results: Leisure activity levels were significantly higher among women than men. oral frailty exerted a dampening effect on hobbies and volunteering, social, educational, and leisure activities. Conclusions: Reducing oral frailty through appropriate oral health management may promote participation in leisure activitiess, thereby improving overall health among older adults.
Objectives: This study aimed to identify the characteristics and severity levels of patient safety incidents in dental institutions using national reporting data and to analyze the factors associated with incident severity. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on 383 dental-related incidents reported to the Korean Patient Safety Reporting and Learning System (KOPS) from 2019 to 2023. General characteristics and severity levels (near miss, adverse events, and sentinel events) were analyzed using frequency analysis, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Results: Near misses accounted for 80.4%, adverse events 15.4%, and sentinel events 4.2%. Severity differed significantly according to age, incident location, time, type, hospital size, reporter, and department (p<0.05). Compared with patient rooms, treatment and operating rooms showed 9.07-fold higher odds of high-severity events. Hospitals with 200–500 beds and ≥500 beds showed 23.8-fold and 20.4-fold higher odds, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusions: Safety management strategies focusing on high-risk clinical areas, considering the characteristics of dental care, and strengthening the organizational patient safety culture are needed.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the associations between the number of natural teeth, masticatory discomfort, and life functioning in older adults. Methods: Data from the 2024 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. A total of 1,429 subjects aged 65 years or older were included. A complex sample linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between the number of natural teeth, masticatory discomfort, and life functioning. The Life Functioning Scale-10 (LF-10) was used to assess life functioning in older adults. Results: The LF-10 score was significantly lower in subjects with 19 or fewer natural teeth (82.23) than in those with 20 or more natural teeth (88.72). It was also significantly lower in subjects with masticatory discomfort (78.89) than in those without masticatory discomfort (88.83). After adjusting for confounding variables, subjects with 19 or fewer natural teeth and those with masticatory discomfort had significantly lower LF-10 scores by 2.819 and 6.155 points, respectively. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the number of natural teeth and masticatory discomfort are associated with LF-10 scores, a measure of life functioning in older adults.
Objectives: This study examined the oral health treatment experiences and reasons for unmet dental care needs among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using data from the Korea Health Panel Survey. Methods: Data from 34,076 adults who responded to the unmet dental care needs questionnaire were analyzed, including 427 patients with RA and 33,649 without RA. Among the 13,423 respondents of the oral disease and treatment experience questionnaire, 171 had RA. Unmet dental care needs and their underlying reasons were assessed using self-reported items. Group differences were examined using the Pearson chi-square test, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Patients with RA had significantly higher odds of difficulty going out due to health conditions (adjusted odds ratio=3.672), loss of income from inability to work (adjusted odds ratio=4.550), and lack of time (adjusted odds ratio=4.296) compared to the control group (p<0.05). The direct medical costs were not significant. Conclusions: Physical limitations and time constraints, rather than direct costs, appear to be the major barriers to dental care access among individuals with RA. Targeted policy interventions, such as home-visit dental services and interdisciplinary care systems, may improve accessibility.
This study introduces a methodological framework for instructor-designed generative AI in dental hygiene education, aiming to establish a theoretical structure that supports self-regulated learning (SRL) through deliberate instructional design and processoriented analysis. By synthesizing literature on generative AI, prompt engineering, SRL theory, and process mining, this paper outlines design principles for AI-integrated learning protocols. The proposed framework incorporates three core components: instructor-guided prompt and protocol principles aligned with SRL phases, a structured interaction log schema for documenting learner–AI exchanges, and a process mining-informed model for mapping learning pathways. Through these components, the study seeks to reduce educational disparities in the AI era and improve the quality of dental hygiene education by enabling datadriven feedback and fostering self-regulated learning.
Objectives: This study compared the codes of ethics for dental hygienists in the United States (2024), United Kingdom (2014), Canada (2024), Korea (2004), and the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (2023), focusing on the distribution of autonomy (A) and social responsibility (S). Methods: A comparative content analysis was conducted using the most recent officially published versions available on the websites of each issuing body’s website as of January 2025, verified by the stated revision year. Independent ethical items were coded into A or S categories according to predefined operational criteria. A total of 80 ethical items were identified and analyzed based on their frequencies and proportions. Results: The United States(12 A, 11 S; A:S = 1.1:1) and the United Kingdom(4 A, 5 S; 0.8:1) showed relatively balanced distributions. Canada(9 A, 21 S; 0.4:1), IFDH (3 A, 8 S; 0.4:1), and Korea(2 A, 5 S; 0.4:1) demonstrated social responsibility–dominant patterns. Conclusions: The findings indicate variations in value distribution and structural composition among national and international codes, providing empirical evidence for further discussion on ethical frameworks in dental hygiene.
Objectives: This study examined the association between oral care problems, oral care practices, and oral health evaluation among adults with cardio-cerebrovascular disease. Methods: In this descriptive study, data from a structured questionnaire of 135 adults who visited medical institutions in Busan between January and March 2025, were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0, at a significance level of p<0.05. Results: A higher level of oral care problems was significantly associated with lower oral care practice (r=−0.219, p<0.05) and higher oral health evaluation (r=0.634, p<0.001) scores. Multiple regression analysis showed that the level of oral care problems (β=0.496, p<0.001) was a strong predictor of oral health evaluation, while oral care practice (β=−0.184, p<0.01) was associated with improved oral health evaluation scores. Conclusions: These findings suggest a close association between the level of oral care problems and oral health evaluation among adults with cardio-cerebrovascular disease, highlighting the need for tailored oral health management and intervention programs.
Objectives: To develop a draft national test evaluation target that reflects the practical job competency of dental hygienists, and to determine its validity. Methods: The draft national test evaluation target comporised a job analysis and a literature survey of dental hygienists. Results: The job analysis was classified into six major categories: 18 middle categories, 93 job items and behavioral indicators. Conclusions: In this study, basic data for practical competency evaluation has been collected to facilitate improvement in the quality of the national examination for dental hygienists, and to determine the direction of the curriculum.
Objectives: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a deep neural network (DNN)-based predictive model for periodontal disease expenditures using community-level health environmental factors derived from public data. Methods: A total of 1,020 monthly records from 17 regions between January 2020 and December 2024 were analyzed. Independent variables included health behaviors, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and healthcare resource accessibility. A DNN model was constructed and evaluated using the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), while permutation feature importance (PFI) was applied to quantify the relative contribution of each variable. Results: The DNN model achieved a mean MAPE of 11.01% (range: 9.35–12.51; SD: 0.83) across 10 repeated trials, indicating good predictive performance according to the Lewis (1982) criteria. PFI analysis identified total population, proportion of single-person households, and gender ratio as the most influential predictors of periodontal disease expenditures. Conclusions: These findings suggest that periodontal disease expenditures are shaped by complex interactions among demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors, which can be effectively captured by AI-based predictive models. This study provides preliminary evidence that healthcare resource allocation and oral health policy development can benefit from AI-based approaches utilizing publicly available data.
Objectives: This study investigated the impact of lecture videos that incorporated text-to-speech (TTS) technology on cognitive outcomes, effective learning, and learning satisfaction among dental hygiene students. Methods: Cognitive, effective, and satisfaction responses were measured using a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation analyses. Results: The average cognitive outcomes score was approximately 3.0, with several items scoring below this level. Significant grade-level differences were observed in effective learning and learning satisfaction, with first-year students reporting more positive responses than those of higher-year students. Strong positive correlations were found among cognitive outcomes, effective learning, and learning satisfaction (r=0.94–0.95, p<0.01). Conclusions: Although TTS-based lectures improve accessibility and facilitate repeated revision, further strategies are required to encourage sustained engagement and higher-order cognitive processing, such as incorporating human voices, interactive designs, and contextual reinforcement, are required to encourage sustained engagement and higher-order cognitive processing. The TTS resources are best positioned as supplementary or prelearning tools in dental hygiene education.
Objectives: This study qualitatively explored the learning experiences of dental hygiene students who participated in an international clinical training program based on guided biofilm therapy (GBT), focusing on their perceptions of clinical communication, self-efficacy, professional identity, global competence, and a prevention-centered approach to dental care. Methods: Ten undergraduate dental hygiene students from a university in Korea participated in an international clinical training program conducted from August 16 to 30, 2025. Data were collected through post-program in-depth interviews and daily reflective learning journals. Qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis were performed, and trustworthiness was ensured through member checking, peer debriefing, and data triangulation. Results: Five overarching themes emerged: confidence in clinical communication, enhanced self-efficacy, expanded professional identity awareness, the development of global communication competence, and a shift toward a prevention-centered clinical perspective. Structured GBT stages and practicebased learning supported the understanding of the clinical communication flow and reduced the psychological burden during patient interactions. Multicultural clinical experiences also promoted cultural openness and awareness of global competence. Conclusions: These findings provide foundational evidence for the incorporation of prevention-centered, practice-based, and internationalized educational approaches into dental hygiene curricula.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between periodontal disease and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 122 older adults aged ≥ 60 years living in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Periodontal disease was assessed based on the number of sites of probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL). Five MetS components were assessed: obesity, elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperglycemia. Older adults with abdominal obesity and at least two additional positive components were classified as having MetS. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between periodontal disease and MetS, after adjusting for covariates. Results: Twenty-three percent of the participants had three or more positive MetS components. A greater number of sites with PPD ≥ 4 mm and CAL ≥ 9 mm was significantly associated with MetS (p<0.05). PPD and CAL were analyzed using separate multivariate models. The number of sites with PPD ≥ 4 mm was significantly associated with MetS (OR=1.04; 95% CI=1.01–1.07), while a higher number of sites with CAL ≥ 9 mm was also associated with MetS (OR=1.19; 95% CI=1.06–1.32). Conclusions: The present findings demonstrate an association between periodontal disease and MetS in older adults. While statistically significant, this relationship should be interpreted with caution given the cross-sectional design. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the temporal pathways linking periodontal status and metabolic health.
