• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.59-71
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• 2014

Purpose. Medical tourism is recently becoming a new industry with great growth potential. The South Korean government is shifting medical tourism from simple cultural tourism to a high value-added industry with a new paradigm. Methods. The government has been providing positive support and marketing policies since the introduction of the article concerning foreign patient attraction to the medical law in 2009, and various types of medical institutions around the country has participated actively in medical tourism by themselves or in cooperation of government bodies and made increasingly greater performance. Results. This study obtained the following results. The medical institutions in Korea have been making efforts to see more development and profitability in diverse ways, including medical tourism for foreign patients and the advance of the Korean medical institutions into foreign markets. However, many local governing bodies and medical institutions participating in medical tourism around the country have primarily focused on examination and treatment on the basis of foreign patients' visit to South Korea and rarely built a medical network with other countries directly for medical tourism. This study presents a case of building a local medical network and a network for international medical tourism successfully on the basis of the local medical association, CMP, which has been formed naturally in Busan. The success factors for CMP included 1) enthusiasm of the official in charge; 2) the medical level, the service level, and open-mindedness of participant medical institutions; 3) cost efficiency due to executive office management with no costs, no conflicts, and constant partnership; 4) security of non-competitive expertise for participants; 5) local factors of CMP; 6) participation of good agencies; 7) reinforcement of participation networks; and 8) post facto management and local doctor management. Conclusions. Its positive effects included patient introduction and greater profitability on an internal basis as well as construction of the collaboration system with the institutions related to medical tourism and confidence. However, there are some limitations: it is still difficult to predict performance due to the short period of their activities, and it is necessary to continue to observe their constant activities since a single medical association was involved.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.313-321
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the oral health behavior and self-rated oral health of workers on their happiness indexes in an attempt to provide information on oral health planning geared toward industrial workers. The subjects in this study were 294 workers in North Gyeongsang Province. As a result of analyzing the relationship between their health behavior and happiness indexes, the workers who got regular health checkups had higher happiness indexes for both single items(p=0.002) and entire five items(0.012), and those who had their teeth cleaned over the past year had higher happiness indexes for both single items(p<0.001) and entire five items(p=0.003). As for a toothbrushing frequency, the respondents who brushed their teeth more frequently had higher happiness indexes for both single items(p<0.001) and entire five items(p=0.023), and those who had ever received oral health education had higher happiness indexes for both single items(p=0.041) and entire five items. The workers who kept their toothbrushes at work had higher happiness indexes for both single items(p=0.001) and entire five items, and the respondents who could afford to visit a dental clinic immediately in case of having a toothache had higher happiness indexes for both single items(p<0.001) and entire five items(p<0.001). The findings of the study suggest that the preparation of systematic oral health programs is required to boost the happiness indexes of industrial workers.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.28 no.6 s.71
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• pp.905-914
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• 1998

The goals of this study were to present presurgical naso-alveolar molding (PNAM) appliance in unilateral cleft lip and palate treatment and to evaluate the effects of PNAM appliance on alveolar molding. Samples were consisted of 4 unilateral cleft lip and palate infants (3 males and 1 female, mean age=23.2 days after birth) who were treated with PNAM appliances in Department of Orthodontics, Seoul National University Dental Hospital. Average alveolar cleft gap between the greater and lesser segment was 8.27mm and average duration of alveolar molding treatment was 9.7 weeks. These patients' models were obtained at initial visit (T1) and alter successful alveolar molding (T2). Seven linear and five angular variables were measured by using photometry and digital caliper. All statistical analyses were performed by SPSS win ver. 7.5 program. Paired t-test was used to compare the mean values. 1. The posterior part of alveolar segments are the stable structures during alveolar molding treatment period in infants. 2. Forward growth of the greater segment may be hindered by the action of alveolar molding. 3. The closure of cleft gap during alveolar molding were usually due to inward and backward bending of the anterior part of the greater segment and outward bending of the whole lesser segment.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.355-364
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• 2011

Introduction: This study evaluated nerve recovery through retrospective study of patients with lingual nerve damage. Patients and Methods: The patients who visited Seoul National University Dental Hospital for an injury to the lingual nerve from April 1988 to August 2009 were enrolled in this study (n=41). The relevance of various factors including the causes of damage, age, etc. was analyzed by the subjective improvement based upon questionnaires and the clinical records. The evaluation variants were a subjective assessment and neurosensory examination composed of the direction, contact threshold, two-point discrimination, pin prick, thermal discrimination and current perception threshold. Results: The causes of lingual nerve damage were an extraction of the lower third molar (75.6%), local anesthesia (9.7%), incision and drainage (4.88%), trauma (2.44%). The evaluation of subjective prognosis exhibited no difference in sensory improvement depending on the cause, age and gender. Based upon the subjective evaluation, 44.7% of patients showed sensory improvement. The first hospital visit from injury was shorter in the group showing subjective improvement (3.41 months) than those showing no improvement (5.24 months) (P=0.301). Thirty six out of 41 patients were treated with only conservative therapy and 5 patients were treated by surgical intervention. Neurosensory examinations revealed improvement, although not statistically significant, and the degree was higher in the subjectively improved group. The contact threshold discrimination showed the highest correlation with subjective improvement (P=0.069). Most of the sensory recovery was gained within 12 months and the degree of improvement at the tip of the tongue was higher than that of the dorsum (P<0.001). Conclusion: The damaged lingual nerve improved at a rate of 44.7% and mostly within 12 months after the incident. There was no difference between the subjective prognosis and neurosensory examination depending on the cause of damage, age and gender, whereas the contact threshold discrimination was the best variant that reflected the subjective prognosis statistically.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2013

Aim : The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that treatment with self-checking behavior management program was valuable in the management of temporomandibular disorders compared with a existing method treatment group. Methods : All participants who are diagnosed with temporomandibular disorders were treated with medication and physical therapy. They came into the clinic at intervals of two weeks, three times. The signs and symptoms were assessed investigating Pain NRS(Numerical Rating Scale), MCO(Maximum comfortable opening), Noise NRS, LOM(Limitation of Mouth opening) NRS at every visit. Experimental group received instructions repeatedly by using self evaluation questionnaire. Control group was educated once at the beginning of treatment. The difference Pain NRS, MCO, Noise NRS, LOM NRS between first and second visits, first and third visits were estimated.. Result :Experimental group showed greater improvement on MCO difference after stopping medication(p=0.001). This improvements were prominent in the male(p=0.001) and the first or second decade of the patients(p=0.004). Conclusion : The present study showed that there was better result when educating repeatedly with using self evaluation questionnaire than educating once at the beginning of the treatment.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.176-183
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• 2016

Purpose: Patients usually suffer from pain and discomfort after oral surgery and their consumption of food is severely affected. Accordingly, the patients' quality of life reduce significantly. The aim of this study was to analyze patient satisfaction on the nutritional supplement drinks following periodontal surgery. Materials and Methods: Total 90 patients who underwent periodontal surgery were recruited and commercially available nutritional drinks were provided. Group I received two bottles per each meal for 2 days, Group II had one bottle per each meal for 3 days, and Group III had no drinks. The survey for the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were given at the next visit for the removal of sutures. Results: The result of PROMs showed the nutrition drink was easy to intake, appeared to help the healing and can be a satisfying supplement for the meals. Conclusion: Nutritional drinks appeared to help the healing after periodontal surgeries and supported the food intake. Also, it was helpful for the patients in nutritional supply and psychological stability.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2001

Oral malodor is a problem that traverses history, culture, race and sex. But, up to the present the study on prevalence of oral malodor in normal popualtion is short, especially there is no study on oral malodor prevalence in Korean. In our study, we investigated self-evaluation of oral malodor, self-rating intensity of oral malodor, patients efforts for curing their oral malodor, and degree of satisfaction with their efforts. Investigation was carried out on 368 public Koreans resident in a big city(174 males, 194 females), by method of self-reporting to prepared questionnaire. There was no difference in self-reporting prevalence of oral malodor in sexes(57.5% in male, 58.8% in female), and the prevalence rate was increased with aging. Self-rating intensity of oral malodor in oral malodor patients group(by self-reporting) was ranked in order of slight, weak, middle, strong in both sexes, but the number of self-rating strong female group is significantly larger than that of self-rating strong male group(9.3% in male, 17.9% in female). In question on duration of oral malodor, most subjects answered that their oral malodor was developed in certain circumstances(61.3% in male, 76.3% in female), and oral malodor-developing circumstances was ranked in order of in the early morning, in hunger state, in fatigue, in stressful situations. Subjects effort for curing their oral malodor was ranked in order of more tooth brushing, gum chewing, use of commercial product for oral hygiene, visit dental clinic, and rates of no effort subjects were 15.3% in males and 10.7% in females. The degree of satisfaction with their efforts for curing their oral malodor was very low, only 5.6% of males and 6.6% of females were answered that there were satisfactory improvement in their oral malodor. Collectively, our result revealed that prevalence of oral malodor in public Koreans and their interest in oral malodor were much higher than our anticipation, and that patients satisfaction with improvement in oral malodor was short of their expectations. Considering the life quality of patients suffering from oral malodor, we conclude that developments of more improved diagnostic tools and treatment methods for oral malodor is indispensable in future.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2006

This study was performed to investigate about sleep quality and orofacial pain pattern between experimental and control group. 101 subjects with temporomandibular disorders without any psychologic and neurologic problem were selected from the patients presented to Wonkwang University dental hospital. Routine clinical examination for TMD was carried out, especially for the frequency of headache and the craniocervical muscles were also done by the author in the first visit. All the subjects filled out the questionnaires, that was, for the evaluation of sleep quality using Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI), and for the analysis of behavioral pain scale questionnaires. Data obtained were statistically processed by the SPSS Windows program and the results of this study were as follows: 1. Subjective sleep index, sleep latency, sleep disturbance, global score in control group were significantly lower than 2. Subjective sleep index, sleep disturbance, global score in subject with headache were significantly lower than subject without headache(P<0.05). 3. Medicine taker have sleeping drug. Caffeine drinkers was significantly higher in daytime dysfunction, global score than no drinker. 4. It have more frequent head and neck pain, pain spreading, daily life difficult in poor sleeper than good sleeper.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2006

Background: This study was done to better understand patterns, trends and local distribution patterns of malocclusion so that we can provide adequate information to patients, to help make the appropriate diagnosis and therapeutic plans, and to assess the future directions of malocclusion treatment. Materials and Methods: Malocclusion patterns, distribution and trends of visiting patients were examined in 993 malocclusion patients who had been evaluated and diagnosed at the Department of Dentistry, Yeungnam University Hospital over a 10-year period from 1995 to 2004. Results: The number of visiting patients per year showed an increasing trend and the visit rate was 1.28 time-higher in females(56.1%) than in males(43.9%). 1) Age distribution showed that the 7-12 year-old group was the largest (36.7%). Geographic distribution showed the majority of patients were from the Dalseo district(28.2%). Angle's malocclusion classification revealed that class III was the largest(38.4%). Crowding was the chief complaint in the highest percentage of patients(33.9%). The therapeutic method used was the fixed appliance in 61% of cases and a combination with extraction in 30.8%. Conclusions: The availability of dental services can accommodate orthodontic needs adequately as well as obtain reliable quantitative information regarding the characteristics of orthodontic patients.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.185-192
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• 2019

The introduction of smart technology provides accuracy, safety, and efficiency to both physicians and patients. Although interest in a clear aligner is increasing among users worldwide, the current clear aligner requires a visit to the hospital every one or two weeks for replacement, which is a very cumbersome process. There is also confusion among dentists and patients because about 40 to 80 devices are made, and calibration is done based on the order and duration of the clear aligner. Therefore, this study designed and developed a clear aligner management system so that communication between the patient and dentist can be smoothly performed by inserting the QR code into the transparent correction device. As a result, the size of the QR code was recognized as $6{\ast}6mm^2$ which can be used in the oral and the recognition distance was 100% within 12 cm. Since the dentist can remotely manage the patient with the proposed system and improve the correction effect, it is possible to manage patients abroad, as well as domestically.