ISSN : 0376-4672
This article aims to discuss the legal limitations in processing personally identifiable health information contained in dental records. Dental records usually contain images such as panoramic radiographs, from which the patient’s anatomical information on the oral and maxillofacial region can be recognized. Recent development in data processing technology sug gests the possibility of enhanced chances of human identification from this information. To illustrate current privacy regulations related to the processing of information in dental records, relevant clauses in current laws including the Personal Information Protection Act and the Medical Service Act, as well as administrative guidelines and court cases were collected and analyzed. When using dental records as evidence in trial or alternative dispute resolution, the information should be within the scope of the disputed issues and the person submitting the records must have a legitimate ground to retain the record. When processing personally identifiable information from dental records for research purposes, adequate pseudonymization is required. Considering the possible expansion of the scope of personally identifiable information and the limitations in conducting research with highly pseudonymized images, it is necessary to raise awareness within the dental society of the current pri vacy regulations, while also relaxing regulations in accordance with technological developments.
Brain abscesses caused by dental infections are rare but potentially fatal infections with a high mortality rate. Early diag nosis and treatment are crucial, but diagnosing them is not straightforward. Various mechanisms exist through which oral bacteria can spread to the central nervous system, with hematogenous dissemination being considered the most important pathophysiological mechanism. In this report, two cases of brain abscess originating from maxillofacial fascial space infec tion will be presented. In the first case, the infection originating from the right side secondary to the left brain abscess, and in the second case, the infection originating from the left side led to a secondary infection in the left brain abscess. In both cases, the source of the infection was traced back to dental issues. The patients showed improvement through long-term high dose antibiotic therapy and surgical treatment by oral & maxillofacial surgeon and neurosurgeon.
This case report aims to inform about the side effects of oral appliances and discuss ways to improve them. The patient is a 68-year-old female with occlusal changes caused by using an oral appliance that does not cover all teeth. She has been treated with an oral appliance for one year to improve her pain in the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) area. After treatment, the pain in the TMJ was released, but occlusion changed. Because of her left posterior open bite, she was advised to avoid wearing an oral appliance and to exercise for masticatory muscle strengthening. After one year and six months, occlusal stability improved. It is recommended to wear a complex type of oral appliance that covers all teeth as much as possible only during sleep to avoid side effects.
All diagnostic X-ray equipments in dental clinics must undergo a radiation safety inspection upon initial in stallation and every three years thereafter. The objective of this study was to propose an appropriate inspection cycle based on the results of safety management inspection for dental diagnostic X-ray equipment. The subject of this study was the radiation safety management inspection results of 774 X-ray equipments at 88 dental clinics. The period of use of the X-ray equipment was analyzed using the device type, inspection date, installation date, manufacturing date, approval date, date of discontinuation of use, transfer date, and disposal date. The X-ray equipment composition comprised 477 intraoral units, 143 panoramic units, 134 CBCT units, and 20 other radiographic units. In equipment suitability classification, out of 774 devices, 98.7% (764 devices) were deemed suitable, and 1.3% (10 devices) were deemed unsuitable. Among the 10 unfit devices, one (0.8%) had a lifespan of 9 years, two (1.8%) had 12 years, three (5.4%) had 15 years, one (4.3%) had 18 years, two (18.2%) had 21 years, and one (100%) had 27 years.
Along with the advancement of dental x-ray equipment, the use of diagnostic radiation has been rapidly in creasing. Accordingly, concerns about radiation exposure are increasing. In particular, imaging examinations in the dental field have a low individual radiation exposure. However, the frequency of the examinations is high. Also, due to the abundant usage of dental CBCT, concerns has been widely spread across the users and the na tion. In response to this, there has been a need to establish a dose monitoring system for dental x-ray equipment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish of a national dose monitoring system for imaging examina tions in the dentistry. For the system establishment, the structure of intraoral, panoramic radiography and CBCT system was surveyed and the integrated data collection plan was prepared. Based on this, dose monitoring system, which can be utilized for nation-wide, was established and a pilot operation was conducted. In order to continuously expand the system in the future, system supplements should be confirmed through gathering expert opinions.
There is growing public concern about patients' radiation exposure from recent medical imaging using ion izing radiation. While medical radiation exposure has inevitable aspects, efforts to optimize doses in line with the principles of justification and optimization are necessary to maximize diagnostic value with the minimum radiation dose. Diagnostic reference levels have been proposed as a means to achieve optimization, in ac cordance with ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) publications 60 and 73, as well as EC (European Commission) Directive 97/43/Euratom. According to Requirement 34 of the 'International Basic Safety Standards' published by the IAEA in 2014, governments are recommended to establish national diagnostic reference levels. According to ICRP Publication 135, issued in 2017, national diagnostic reference levels should be revised regularly, preferably every 3-5 years, and more frequently in the case of technological advancements, such as in the case of CBCT. In South Korea, diagnostic reference levels for various imaging modalities have been established since 2007. In the field of dentistry, diagnostic reference levels for intraoral and panoramic radiography were established in 2009, and in 2018, diagnostic reference levels for dental CBCT were introduced for the first time. The purpose of this report is to discuss the current national-level patient radia tion dose management in South Korea and explore its applications
