2026, Vol.26, No.3

Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene 2024 KCI Impact Factor : 1.14

pISSN : 2287-1705 / eISSN : 2288-2294
https://journal.kci.go.kr/jksdh

Objectives: Older adults with a neurological disorder often have difficulty maintaining oral hygiene due to functional limitations that increase the risk of oral and systemic complications. The applicability of an integrated oral care intervention using a multichannel oral irrigator (MCOI) in home-dwelling older adults was explored. Methods: This case study included older adults with neurological disorders. The intervention consisted of professional oral hygiene care, oral motor training, and MCOI use over five weeks. Oral health was assessed using the Simplified oral hygiene index (S-OHI), Community Periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN), Winkel tongue coating index (WTC), and turbidity at baseline, three weeks, and five weeks. Results: There were improvements in the S-OHI and WTC, indicating better plaque control and reduced tongue coating. Changes in the CPITN were limited, which is likely to be due to the short intervention period. Turbidity findings indicate effective removal of oral debris. Conclusions: Integrated interventions, including the MCOI, may be considered to be a feasible supportive approach for oral hygiene management in older adults with neurological disorders, while continuous care and caregiver involvement remain important.

Objectives: To systematically review trends in information and communication technology (ICT)-based oral health interventions and technology development targeting children and adolescents in Korea. Further objectives are to provide directions for digital oral health services, and to provide foundational data. Methods: A total of 1,468 relevant articles were identified. After removal of duplicates and screening based on the exclusion criteria, 17 articles (18 studies) were included. Results: The number of ICT-related studies has increased since 2019. In terms of study design, interventional studies (77.8%) predominated over technology development studies (22.2%), and quasi-experimental designs were frequently used (nine studies). Mixed-age group studies were the most common (11 studies), indicating that target ages were mixed or concentrated within specific age ranges. Dental clinics and hospitals were the primary study settings (six studies). ICT types and functions were concentrated in applications (six studies) and monitoring (seven studies). Advanced technologies, such as those using artificial intelligence and augmented reality, have begun to be introduced, but they have only been identified in some education and diagnostic studies. Conclusions: ICT-based studies targeting children and adolescents should be further diversified. Government-level support and institutional frameworks are required to promote the development of adolescent-specific interventions and emotionally supportive ICT.

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.