Purpose: Periodontal disease causes tooth loss if not treated early, and advanced periodontitis can cause a decline in various oral functions. These results diminish the health-related quality of life (QOL) for various populations. Thus, early detection and management of the disease, as well as a systematic strategy for the prevention of periodontal disease, are necessary. Methods: Adults, 19 years of age or older and diagnosed with chronic gingivitis or chronic periodontitis under the ICD-10 codes, were selected to participate in the study. A total of 20 participants were informed of the purpose of the study and gave consent to participate in in-depth interviews. Results: The treatment of periodontal disease improved health-related QOL and enabled the participants to have positive dental care health behaviors. Furthermore, the participants recognized the severity of periodontal disease and the importance of dental examinations. It enabled them to be aware of the societal need for dental care awareness. Conclusions: This study was an in-depth examination of the health-related QOL of periodontal patients through a qualitative research methodology. We expect that this study will expand research on health-related QOL due to periodontal disease and revitalize the dental health system and practices.

Oral healthcare is a critical condition for high quality of life. According to statistics, gingivitis is one of major diseases in the world (The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, 3.5 billion population worldwide). Oral diseases, that initiated by a group of multispecies bacteria with diverse extracellular slime that called biofilms, are modifiable risk factors with the cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease. Hence, effective management of biofilms is important. Since biofilms are comprised of extracellular matrix that inhibit drug diffusion, the traditional antibiotic treatment requires 500 -5000 times more concentration than planktonic bacterial infection. The biofilm cleaning in dentistry includes time-consuming and painful physical brushing. In this work, we have developed a new electric toothbrush in emphasis on demonstration of convenient and painless gingivitis improvement device. For the first time, the toothbrush has been integrated with an electromagnetic technology for effective biofilm removal, known for bioelectric effect (BE). Biofilms consists of electrically charged molecules that are affected by external electric fields. Thus, when an electric field is applied, it creates interruption of metabolism, reduction of enzyme activity, weakening surface attachment, and nonuniform electrolyte distribution, resulting in separation from the surface. Thus, integration of the BE on a toothbrush enables enhanced biofilm reduction. The toothbrush tested with mild gingival patient (N=40) at the department of dentistry, Ulsan University Hospital, South Korea. The patient used the BE toothbrush and non-BE toothbrush consecutively for 2 weeks in each, following their gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PI) measurement for the quantitative analysis. The results demonstrate 1.75 times more decrease of GI in BE toothbrush than the data of the non-BE device (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a new electromagnetic wave toothbrush has been successfully demonstrated especially in reduction of inflammation. Based on this work, we are going to further develop a medical device that dedicated on the treatment of inflammation.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a microcurrent toothbrush (approved by the US Food and Drug Administration [FDA]), which employs a superimposed alternating and direct electric current, named as a Proxywave^® technology, similar to the intensity of the biocurrent, in plaque removal and reducing gingivitis by biofilm removal through the bioelectric effect. This study enrolled 40 volunteers with gingivitis. Dental observations were made every two weeks, before and after the use of each toothbrush. We randomly assigned participants into two groups: one group used the Proxywave^® toothbrush (PB) for two weeks followed by the control toothbrush (CB) for two weeks, while the other group used the CB for two weeks followed by the PB. The participants had a two-week washout period. If the toothbrush used earlier has had an effect on the bacterial flora in the oral cavity, this is to remove this effect and return it to its previous state. During each dental visit, we recorded plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) scores. The PI and GI scores were significantly lower in both the PB and the CB (p < 0.05). Considering the PI, there was no significant difference between the toothbrushes on all the surfaces. Considering the GI, the PB showed a significant decrease in the interproximal surface, compared to the CB (p < 0.05). The PB showed a significant decrease in the interproximal GI and had a beneficial effect in the interproximal area where the bristles could not reach. No adverse events were observed in the participants during the clinical trial. The microcurrent toothbrush is a device that can be safely used for plaque removal.

A combinatorial biofilm treatment involving a low dose of antibiotics along with a small amount of electricity is known as the bioelectric effect (BE). When an external electric field or current is applied, biofilms can be affected by the resulting electrostatic force. Our group is researching the maximization of electrostatic force through the integration of both alternating and direct currents, with a voltage below the electrolysis threshold (0.82 V). To validate the efficacy of this technology, in the present work we investigated two major biofilm applications: (1) dentistry for oral biofilm infection and (2) hygiene for aerobic biofilm contamination. For each application, testing devices were developed in the form of a toothbrush and an evaporator cleaner, respectively. The dental clinical results demonstrated a 75% reduction in gingivitis compared to the non-BE applied group (n = 40, ANOVA, paired t-test, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the hygiene testing result demonstrated an 81.8% increase in biofilm removal compared to the initial untreated sample (n = 6, ANOVA, paired t-test, p < 0.05). In conclusion, this new BE technology showed efficacy in both dental- and hygiene-associated biofilms without causing electrolysis. Further investigation and development of the BE system should continue in both the medical and hygiene fields.

Background: Disease burden created by periodontal disease has been recognized as a global challenge. The burden of medical expenses is expected to increase continuously, parallel to the growth of the elderly population. Periodontal disease causes tooth loss if not treated earl

Dental implant inflammation is primarily caused by oral biofilms, which form within 8 h, particularly at 37 °C, thereby requiring diligent cleaning. Considering the complex management of dental implants, a novel technology based on the bioelectric effect (BE) to combat inflammation has emerged. A BE-integrated toothbrush was developed and clinically tested on patients with dental implants (N = 36). Our findings revealed a significant average plaque index reduction of 67% with BE technology compared with that at baseline (P < 0.05), whereas non-BE did not yield statistical significance even after 4 weeks of use (P > 0.05). The bleeding index demonstrated a 59% average reduction in all surfaces with BE technology (P < 0.05), whereas the non-BE group exhibited no significant change. Substantial reductions in total plaque and bleeding indices suggest that using BE toothbrushes can help effectively remove oral biofilms and treat bleeding symptoms.