2026, Vol.26, No.5

Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene 2025 KCI Impact Factor : 1.22

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

Objectives: To review the historical development and current operation of the practical component of the Korean Dental Hygienist National Examination, and to analyze its limitations from the perspectives of job- and competency-based assessment. In addition, a phased reform strategy will be proposed based on domestic and international examples. Methods: Institutional development, assessment tasks, and operational procedures of the examination were reviewed. Current issues were analyzed with regards to their relevance to legal and clinical duties, job representativeness, content validity, reliability, and fairness. Practical assessment systems for health professionals in Korea and dental hygienists in the United States and Canada were also examined, with an emphasis on simulation-based assessment. Results: The current examination primarily assesses selected clinical skills and does not sufficiently reflect comprehensive practice competencies. Major concerns include task relevance and representativeness, content validity, inter-rater reliability, and operational fairness. Recommended reforms include implementation of a job- and competency-based system, multimodule practical assessment, standardized scoring and rater training, linkage with university curriculum accreditation, and a phased implementation roadmap. Conclusions: The practical examination should assess the integrated clinical and communication competencies that are required in dental hygiene practice. Patient-simulation-based clinical performance examinations may be gradually introduced following pilot testing and studies on their validity, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and stakeholder acceptability.

Objectives: This scoping review mapped digital dental technologies and competency-related constructs investigated in dental hygiene-related studies retrieved from Korean databases, and identified provisional candidate domains and research gaps relevant to future digital competency frameworks. Methods: The RISS, KISS, DBpia, and National Assembly Library were searched for studies published between January 2016 and July 2026 without language restrictions. Of 454 records, 257 were screened, 51 full-text records were retrieved, and 20 studies were included. Frequency analysis and multiple-response coding were used in this study. Results: Of the 20 included studies, 12 (60.0%) were published between 2024 and 2026, and 13 (65.0%) employed a survey design. Intraoral scanners/digital impressions (75.0%) and CAD/CAM/digital workflows (60.0%) were the most common. The percentages were based on all 20 studies and represent literature coverage rather than direct competency evidence. Digital skills/utilization-related measures were identified in 60.0%, and knowledge and understanding in 10.0%. Skill/proficiency and utilization/experience were coded separately. Attitude/acceptance/self-efficacy (70.0%) and awareness/perception (65.0%) were predominant, whereas evidence for objective performance, communication/collaboration, and ethics/safety/data security was limited. Conclusions: Six domains were identified as provisional candidate domains, and not as a validated competency framework. Perceptual/personal and educational/contextual factors should be assessed separately. Expert consensus, content validity assessments, and psychometric validation are required before formal use.

Objectives: To examine the effects of smartphone application–based oral muscle-strengthening training on mental health-related outcomes, sleep health, and electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in older individuals. Methods: The per-protocol analysis included 49 individuals aged ≥65 years (intervention group, n=24; control group, n=25). The intervention consisted of 12 sessions over six weeks. Outcomes were measured pre- and post-intervention. Between-group effects were estimated using analysis of covariance, adjusted for corresponding baseline values. If the homogeneity of the regression slope assumption was not met, a change-score sensitivity analysis was performed. Benjamini–Hochberg correction was applied to the EEG outcomes. Results: After baseline adjustment, perceived social support was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (adjusted mean difference, 15.48; 95% confidence interval, 10.43–20.54; p<0.001). There were no significant differences in the other mental-health-related or sleep outcomes. Rest and attention EEG indices were lower in the intervention group and remained significantly lower after multiple-comparison corrections (q=0.020 and q=0.016, respectively). Conclusions: The intervention was associated with higher perceived social support and differences in selected EEG indices. The clinical significance of the EEG findings is uncertain, and they require confirmation in larger, longer-term studies.