Dental caries remains one of the most prevalent global diseases, and the early detection of occlusal lesions is critical because demineralization often begins deep within pits and fissures where conventional visual–tactile or radiographic inspection cannot detect it. SmarTooth, a newly introduced fluorescence device that irradiates enamel with a 655 nm laser and records the reflected intensity, may provide more objective, quantitative diagnoses. This study assessed its diagnostic performance against the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). We examined 1421 occlusal surfaces from 153 adults, scored each surface with ICDAS codes 0–4, and recorded SmarTooth peak values. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to test the association between codes and peak values; one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc was used to compare mean values across codes; and sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) were calculated at three diagnostic thresholds: D1 (0 vs. 1–4), D2 (0–2 vs. 3–4), and D3 (0–3 vs. 4). The SmarTooth values rose with lesion severity and correlated moderately with ICDAS (r = 0.495, p < 0.001). The AUROC ranged from 0.69 to 0.82, with the best accuracy observed at D2 (cut-off: 7.0; AUC: 0.82; sensitivity: 78.3%; specificity: 77.4%). These findings suggest that SmarTooth can complement ICDAS scoring as an adjunctive tool, potentially enhancing diagnostic accuracy and supporting early intervention for occlusal caries in general dental practice.

Hye-Bin Go, Jun-Hyuk Choi. J Dent Hyg Sci 2026;26:10-9. https://doi.org/10.17135/jdhs.2026.26.1.10

김남희, 신선정, 박희정, 김민아, 최준혁, 임애정, 이지혜, 정진영, 진정남, 박찬영. Public Health Weekly Report 2026;19:37-58. https://doi.org/10.56786/PHWR.2026.19.41suppl.3

Objective: This study examined temporal changes in major satisfaction, career self-understanding behavior, and problem-solving self-efficacy among dental hygiene students during two school-based oral health education field sessions. Methods: This single-group three-wave repeated-measures study included 80 fourth-year dental hygiene students. Data collected before the first field session (T0), after the first session (T1), and after the second session one week later (T2) were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons and Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Major satisfaction was higher at T1 and T2 than at T0(3.91, 4.06, and 4.06, respectively; p<.001), with no difference between T1 and T2. Career self-understanding behavior showed the same pattern(3.86, 3.98, and 3.97, respectively; p<.001). Problem-solving self-efficacy increased at each time point(3.48, 3.68, and 3.86; p<.001), with significant differences among the three time points. General satisfaction increased across all time points. In contrast, social perception satisfaction differed only between T0 and T1. Curriculum and relationship satisfaction did not change significantly during the study. The changes in the scores were not significantly correlated. Conclusions: Repeated field performances with feedback may have educational value during the field-application stage of school-based oral health education for dental hygiene students.