• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to identify the current status of use and respective work scopes of dental hygienists and nursing assistants as perceived by dentists, thereby obtaining a model for how to efficiently use oral health assistance personnel. This study was based on a self-reported survey administered to a total of 126 dentists. The following findings were observed. Where competition among neighborhood clinics was relatively high, nursing assistants tended to be used as a resource to assist dental hygienists, whereas where it was relatively low, they were more likely to be considered to work as full substitutes for regular dental hygienists. Looking at the scopes of practice, dental hygienists were allowed to deal with matters of preventive care, oral health education, and health insurance claims. On the other hand, nursing assistants were allowed to be in charge of taking X-ray pictures from the outside and inside of mouth and keeping medical devices clean and safe. This study is expected to contribute to establishing more reasonable oral heath personnel structure design decisions.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.199-202
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• 2016

Background: The aim of this study was to provide insight on dental fear amongst schoolchildren and evaluate the association between caries experience and fear of dental procedures. Methods: A sample size of 250 students (both sexes) of ages 10-14 years were enrolled in the study. Before dental examination, each participant was informed about the study and given the Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) questionnaire. Children who scored greater than 38 were included in the 'with dental fear' group and those who scored less than 38 were assigned to the 'without dental fear' group. All oral check-ups were carried out on the school premises according to WHO criteria. Results: There were 105 children (42%) who experienced dental fear. As CFSS-DS scores increased, scores on the Decayed, Missing and Filled Surfaces Index (DMFS) also increased. Scores were highest on "injections" followed by "dentist drill" and "feeling of choking". Children were significantly less anxious about items of dental treatment if they had experienced that particular form of treatment. Female participants were found to be more dentally anxious than the male participants. Conclusions: The data revealed dental fear in 10-14 years old children and showed that dental fear scores decreased with increase in age and experience.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.138-146
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• 2021

The diagnosis and treatment plan for forming ideal occlusal plane in full mouth rehabilitation are difficult because each process is complicated and information exchange between dentist and technician is subjective. The OP finder^® system simplifies this process and helps to deliver more objective and accurate information. In this case, full mouth rehabilitation was performed using OP finder^® system for patients with old bad fixed prosthesis and severely worn mandibular teeth, and reported that the result of proper occlusal plane setting and masticatory function recovery was obtained.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.42
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• pp.12.1-12.9
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• 2020

Coronavirus is an enveloped virus with positive-sense single-stranded RNA. Coronavirus infection in humans mainly affects the upper respiratory tract and to a lesser extent the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical symptoms of coronavirus infections can range from relatively mild (similar to the common cold) to severe (bronchitis, pneumonia, and renal involvement). The disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was called Covid-19 by the World Health Organization in February 2020. Face-to-face communication and consistent exposure to body fluids such as blood and saliva predispose dental care workers at serious risk for 2019-nCoV infection. As demonstrated by the recent coronavirus outbreak, information is not enough. During dental practice, blood and saliva can be scattered. Accordingly, dental practice can be a potential risk for dental staff, and there is a high risk of cross-infection. This article addresses all information collected to date on the virus, in accordance with the guidelines of international health care institutions, and provides a comprehensive protocol for managing possible exposure to patients or those suspected of having coronavirus.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2019

Although allergic reactions are not rare complications in drug use, anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid reactions to some widely used drugs can embarrass clinicians because anaphylaxis is not easily diagnosed at the time of the event and treatment is unfamiliar to many. Lidocaine is a very popular drug in dental procedures and anaphylactoid reaction to it has been rarely reported. Clinicians who use lidocaine daily should, however, be aware of the possibility of anaphylaxis after its use. Once it occurs, anaphylaxis can be fatal, but if it is quickly diagnosed or suspected, treatment is simpler than most clinicians believe. An 86-year-old woman experienced an anaphylactic reaction 30 min after local infiltration of lidocaine for retraction of retained teeth. The dentist called an anesthesiologist for assistance. Fortunately, an anaphylactic reaction was quickly suspected and after subsequent rapid treatment with the administration of fluid and drug therapy, the patient recovered completely.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2021

Objectives: This study examined demographic factors hampering access to healthcare at hospitals and suggests policy approaches to improve healthcare management in Thailand. Methods: The data for the study were drawn from a health and welfare survey conducted by the National Statistical Office of Thailand in 2017. The population-based health and welfare survey was systematically carried out by skilled interviewers, who polled 21 519 384 individuals. The independent variables related to demographic data (age, sex, religion, marital status, education, occupation, and area of residence), chronic diseases, and health insurance coverage. The dependent variable was the degree of access to healthcare. Multiple logistic regression analysis was subsequently performed on the variables found to be significant in the univariate analysis. Results: Only 2.5% of the population did not visit a hospital when necessary for outpatient-department treatment, hospitalization, or the provision of oral care. The primary reasons people gave for not availing themselves of the services offered by government hospitals when they were ill were-in descending order of frequency-insufficient time to seek care, long hospital queues, travel inconvenience, a lack of hospital beds, unavailability of a dentist, not having someone to accompany them, and being unable to pay for the transportation costs. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that failure to access the health services provided at hospitals was associated with demographic, educational, occupational, health welfare, and geographic factors. Conclusions: Accessibility depends not only on health and welfare benefit coverage, but also on socioeconomic factors and the degree of convenience associated with visiting a hospital.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.351-361
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• 2021

Purpose: The clivus is a region in the anterior section of the occipital bone that is commonly imaged on large-volume cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). There have been several reports of incidental clivus variations and certain pathological entities that have been attributed to the variations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of these variations within the scope of dentistry. Materials and Methods: Medical databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched using a controlled vocabulary (clival anomalies, cone-beam CT, canalis basilaris medianus, fossa navicularis magna, clival variation). The search was limited to English language, humans, and studies published in the last 25 years. The articles were exported into RefWorks^® and duplicates were removed. The remaining articles were screened and reviewed for supporting information on variations of the clivus on CBCT imaging. Results: Canalis basilaris medianus and fossa navicularis magna were the most common anomalies noted. Many of these variations were asymptomatic, with most patients unaware of the anomaly. In certain cases, associated pathologies ranged from developmental (Tornwaldt cyst), to acquired (recurrent meningitis). While no distinct pathognomonic aspects were noted, there were unique patterns of radiographic diagnosis and treatment modalities. Most patients had a normal course of follow-up. Conclusion: Interpretation of CBCT volumes is a skill every dentist must possess. When reviewing large-volume CBCT scans, the clinician should be able to distinguish pathology from normal anatomic variations within the skull base. The majority of clivus variations are asymptomatic and will remain undetected unless incidentally noted on radiographic examinations.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.202-209
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• 2021

By classifying temporary denture production for surgical guides, digital guide-based surgery, and final prosthesis production, the problems of each process were assessed in advance and the factors that could be improved were confirmed in this study. The manufacturing process of fusion dental prosthesis uses virtual programs and computed tomography images to manufacture devices using the latest technologies of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing and three-dimensional printing, which enables implants to be placed in the desired location in advance. Moreover, implant placement is not dependent on the skill and condition of the dentist, and because it uses a computer system, it can always be performed at a constant and optimal position. This can reduce the remanufacturing rate compared with the general method, shorten the treatment period, and eliminate patient discomfort. Unlike the traditional method of using impression materials and plaster models, digital fusion dental prostheses would be evaluated as a technology for producing prosthesis through professional design technology and communication.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.443-450
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• 2022

Background: This double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to evaluate the pre-emptive analgesia and anti-inflammatory efficacy of piroxicam compared with tramadol in patients undergoing oral surgery. Methods: Seventy-eight patients who required extraction of impacted mandibular third molars were randomized into three treatment groups of 26 patients each: group I received 100 mg of tramadol, group II received 20 mg of piroxicam, and group III received a placebo. Drugs were administered intramuscularly 30 min prior to the extraction procedure. Results: Pain intensity, time to first analgesic administration, total analgesic consumption, facial edema, and trismus were the outcomes of interest. The group receiving 20 mg of piroxicam showed significantly lower pain intensity, increased time to first analgesic, and reduced edema from preoperative to postoperative day seven than those in the tramadol and placebo groups. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that piroxicam had significant pain relief efficacy after third molar surgery compared with that in tramadol.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.32.1-32.8
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• 2023

Ingestions and aspirations of foreign bodies are rare, but do occasionally occur during dental treatment. Although reports exist, few include photos demonstrating the extensive surgical intervention that may be necessary to manage such events. Perhaps this lack of visualization, and associated lack of awareness, is one of the reasons some clinicians still provide nonsurgical root canal therapy (NSRCT) without a rubber dam. This case report outlines the medical treatment of a 30-year-old male who initially presented to a general dentist's office (not associated with the authors) for NSRCT of their mandibular right first molar. A rubber dam was not used for this procedure, during which the accidental ingestion of an endodontic K-file occurred. The patient was subsequently hospitalized for evaluation and treatment, consisting of numerous imaging studies, endoscopic evaluation, and surgical removal of the file from his small intestine. The ingestion of foreign bodies, and the associated complications, can be reduced through the routine use of a rubber dam, which is considered the standard of care for NSRCT. This case graphically illustrates the potential consequences associated with deviating from the standard of care and should remind clinicians that a rubber dam is necessary for all cases of NSRCT.