• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2016

Purpose: Wnt signaling plays an essential role in the dental epithelium and mesenchyme during tooth morphogenesis. Deletion of the Wntless (Wls) gene in odontoblasts appears to reduce canonical Wnt activity, leading to inhibition of odontoblast maturation. However, it remains unclear if autonomous Wnt ligands are necessary for differentiation of dental pulp cells into odontoblast-like cells to induce reparative dentinogenesis, one of well-known feature of pulp repair to form tertiary dentin. Materials and Methods: To analyze the autonomous role of Wls for differentiation of dental pulp cells into odontoblast-like cells, we used primary dental pulp cells from unerupted molars of Wls-floxed allele mouse after infection with adenovirus for Cre recombinase expression to knockout the floxed Wls gene or control GFP expression. The differentiation of dental pulp cells into odontoblast-like cells was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Result: Proliferation rate was significantly decreased in dental pulp cells with Cre expression for Wls knockout. The expression levels of Osterix (Osx), runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and nuclear factor I-C (Nfic) were all significantly decreased by 0.3-fold, 0.2-fold, and 0.3-fold respectively in dental pulp cells with Wls knockout. In addition, the expression levels of Bsp, Col1a1, Opn, and Alpl were significantly decreased by 0.7-fold, 0.3-fold, 0.8-fold, and 0.6-fold respectively in dental pulp cells with Wls knockout. Conclusion: Wnt ligands produced autonomously are necessary for proper proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation of mouse dental pulp cells toward further tertiary dentinogenesis.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.255-268
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• 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between the stages of calcification of various teeth and skeletal maturity stages among Korean subjects. The samples were derived from hand-wrist, panoramic radiographs, and lateral cephalograms of 743 subjects (359 males and 384 females) with ages ranging from 6 to 14 years. Calcification of seven permanent mandibular teeth on the left side were rated according to the system of Demirjian. To evaluate the stage of skeletal maturation, hand-wrist radiographs were analyzed by skeletal maturity indicators (SMI) system of Fishman and lateral cephalograms by cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method of Baccetti. Statistically significant relationships were found between dental calcification and skeletal maturity stages according to Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients (r = 0.40-0.84, p < 0.001). The second molar showed the highest correlation and central incisor showed the lowest correlation for female and male subjects. For both sexes, canine stage G and second molar stage F were related to SMI 6 and CS 3. Because of the high correlation coefficients, this study suggests that tooth calcification stages from panoramic radiographs might be clinically useful as a maturity indicator of the pubertal growth period in Korean patients.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.929-942
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• 1999

Three beagle dogs aged over one and half years were used in this study. All mandibular premolars were carefully extracted. Two AVANA implants(Sumin, Korea) and two 3i implants(Implant Innovation, USA) were installed at each right and left side respectively. Each dog was sacrificed at 4, 8. 12 weeks. Non-decalcified specimens were made and stained for a light microscopic study. The results were as follows ; 1. Inflammation was not observed in the area of bone tissue adjacent to the implant body. 2. With time, quantity of osseointe-gration increased in each type of den-dental implant. There was no difference between AVANA implant and 3i implant. 3. Maturation of the bone around each type of the dental implant increased with time. 12 weeks after implant installation, the bone around dental implant represented compact bone-like appreance. 4. In case implants were located adjacent to a root, newly-formed periodontal ligament tissue was observed around the implant. And the direction of the periodontal ligament fiber was parallel to the surface of the implant . Within the results of this study, AVANA implants represented similar osseointegra-tion in comparision with 3i implants.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 2013

Purpose: Demirjian's dental maturity scores and curves have been widely used for human age determination. Several authors have reported considerable differences between the true and estimated age based on the Demirjian curves, which have been accounted for by ethnicity. The purpose of the current study was to assess the role of ethnicity-specific dental maturation curves in age estimation of Saudi children. Materials and Methods: A sample of 452 healthy Saudi children aged 4 to 14 years were aged based on the original French-Canadian Demirjian curves and several modified Demirjian curves specified for certain ethnic groups: Saudi, Kuwaiti, Polish, Dutch, Pakistani, and Belgian. One-way ANOVA and a post hoc Scheff$\acute{e}$'s test were used to assess the differences between chronological age and dental age estimated by the different curves (P<0.05). Results: The curves designed for Dutch, Polish, Saudi, and Belgian (5th percentile) populations had a significantly lower error in estimating age than the original French-Canadian and Belgian (50th percentile) curves. The optimal curve for males was the Saudi one, with a mean absolute difference between estimated age and chronological age of 8.6 months. For females, the optimal curve was the Polish one, with a mean absolute difference of 7.4 months. It was revealed that accurate age determination was not related to certain ethnicity-specific curves. Conclusion: We conclude that ethnicity might play a role in age determination, but not a principal one.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.146-150
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• 1999

With the improved cure rates for childhood malignant conditions in the past decade, late effects of cancer therapy must be recognized to minimize their impact on the quality of life in long-term survivors. Chemoradiation therapy is a major part of pediatric oncology treatment and is implicated in causing tooth agenesis, microdontia, root shortening, early apical closure, and coronal hypocalcification. Dental development may be affected by illness, trauma, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy at any point prior to complete maturation. Treatment given during the first 3.5 years of life was more likely to affect the dental lamina and crown formation and result in a small tooth. Dental treatment affected by chemoradiation damage to developing teeth includes orthodontic tooth movement, prosthetic abutment consideration, periodontal health, space maintenance, requirement for home fluoride regimens to protect hypomineralized teeth, and enodontic procedures. Dental abnormalities are common in patients treated for cancer, and these children require aggressive dental follow-up. Meticulous surveillance may facilitate detection of abnormalities, enabling the dental practitioner to intervene earlier in promoting a more aggressive regimen of oral care, thus reducing the morbidity associated with dental sequelae of oncotherapy, specifically periodontal disease and malocclusion. In this case, we report microdontia of all permanent second premolar and second molar in an 8 year old boy treated with chemotherapeutic agents during period of active dental development(14 months to 38 months of age).

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2018

Atg5 and Atg7 have long been considered as essential molecules for autophagy. However, we found that cells lacking these molecules still form autophagic vacuoles and perform autophagic protein degradation when subjected to certain stressors. During this unconventional autophagy pathway, autophagosomes appeared to be generated in a Rab9-dependent manner by the fusion of vesicles derived from the trans-Golgi and late endosomes. Therefore, mammalian autophagy can occur via at least two different pathways; the Atg5/Atg7-dependent conventional pathway and an Atg5/Atg7-independent alternative pathway.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2017

A revascularization procedure was shown to be the best alternative therapy for immature teeth with necrotic pulp and apical infection. A 12 year old female with a history of trauma to her upper central incisor and a sinus tract was referred for endodontic treatment. She was an active orthodontic patient and had undergone regenerative endodontic treatment for the past 2 years. Clinical examination revealed no response to sensibility, percussion, and palpation tests. The preoperative radiograph showed an open apex and apical rarefaction. The case was diagnosed as previously treated tooth with asymptomatic apical periodontitis. Regenerative endodontic retreatment was performed, and the case was followed for 3 years. Clinical, radiographic, and cone-beam computed tomography follow-up examination revealed an asymptomatic tooth, with evidence of periapical healing and root maturation.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.178-181
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• 2013

Traumatic injuries to an immature permanent tooth may result in cessation of dentin deposition and root maturation. Endodontic treatment is often complicated in premature tooth with an uncertain prognosis. This article describes successful treatment of two traumatized maxillary central incisors with complicated crown fracture three months after trauma. The radiographic examination showed immature roots in maxillary central incisors of a 9-year-old boy with a radiolucent lesion adjacent to the right central incisor. Apexogenesis was performed for the left central incisor and revascularization treatment was considered for the right one. In 18-month clinical and radiographic follow-up both teeth were asymptomatic, roots continued to develop, and periapical radiolucency of the right central incisor healed. Considering the root development of these contralateral teeth it can be concluded that revascularization is an appropriate treatment method in immature necrotic teeth.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2006

Cathepsin K (cat K) is the major cysteine protease expressed in osteoclasts and was thought to play a key role in matrix degradation during bone resorption. It was shown that the intracellular maturation of cat K was prevented by the cAMP antagonist, Rp-cAMP, and the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors of KT5720 and H89. In contrast, forskolin, a adenylate cyclase agonist, rather induced Cat K processing and maturation in osteoclasts. Furthermore, to determine whether cat K processing and maturation signaling involves protein kinase C (PKC), mouse total bone cells were treated with calphostin C, a specific inhibitor of PKC, however, no effect was observed, indicating that calphostin C did not affect to osteoclast-mediated cat K processing and maturation. Thus, it is indicated that the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway regulates cat K maturation in osteoclasts. Since secreted proenzymes have the potential to reenter the cell via M6P receptor, to prevent this possibility, it was tested cAMP antagonist Rp-cAMP and the PKA inhibitors KT5720 and H89 in the absence or presence of M6P. Inhibition of cat K processing by Rp-cAMP, KT5720, or H89 was observed in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the addition of M6P resulted in enhanced potency of Rp-cAMP, KT5720 and H89. These dose-dependently inhibited in vitro bone resorption with a potency similar to that observed for inhibition of cat K processing.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.112-122
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to present and evaluate a new deep learning model for determining cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) degree and growth spurts by analyzing lateral cephalometric radiographs. Methods: The study sample included 890 cephalograms. The images were classified into six cervical stages independently by two orthodontists. The images were also categorized into three degrees on the basis of the growth spurt: pre-pubertal, growth spurt, and post-pubertal. Subsequently, the samples were fed to a transfer learning model implemented using the Python programming language and PyTorch library. In the last step, the test set of cephalograms was randomly coded and provided to two new orthodontists in order to compare their diagnosis to the artificial intelligence (AI) model's performance using weighted kappa and Cohen's kappa statistical analyses. Results: The model's validation and test accuracy for the six-class CVM diagnosis were 62.63% and 61.62%, respectively. Moreover, the model's validation and test accuracy for the three-class classification were 75.76% and 82.83%, respectively. Furthermore, substantial agreements were observed between the two orthodontists as well as one of them and the AI model. Conclusions: The newly developed AI model had reasonable accuracy in detecting the CVM stage and high reliability in detecting the pubertal stage. However, its accuracy was still less than that of human observers. With further improvements in data quality, this model should be able to provide practical assistance to practicing dentists in the future.