Author
Bae Min-gyu
Reporter
Covers the equipment and techniques used in dental clinics. What a new machine is for, and what changes when the treatment is yours. Wants to spell out the things that stay fuzzy even after someone has explained them.
Articles written 33
If an X-ray Shows a Gap After Root Canal Treatment, Do I Need Retreatment?
A dark gap seen on an X-ray after root canal treatment can mean different things depending on whether it is a void inside the filling material or a healing apical lesion. This article explains how to judge the need for retreatment by looking at symptoms together with changes on imaging over time.
4 min read
Bacteriophage Therapy Emerges to Selectively Kill Periodontitis Bacteria
Research is underway to target periodontitis and apical periodontitis bacteria that resist antibiotics using bacteriophages that kill only specific bacteria. This article covers two approaches: collapsing an entire biofilm by removing just one keystone species, and packaging phage enzymes in nanomaterials to also promote bone regeneration.
4 min read
Intranasal Sedation Is Pushing Out Oral Sedatives in Pediatric Dentistry
A sedative sprayed into the nose is establishing itself in pediatric dentistry as a substitute for oral sedatives and intravenous sedation. A recent pooled analysis found no clear difference in treatment success between dexmedetomidine and midazolam, but the two diverged in onset time and duration. In a Korean clinical trial, the intranasal approach sharply reduced side effects compared with conventional oral sedation.
4 min read
Should I See a Dentist Even for a Tiny Chip on My Front Tooth?
Even if a small chip in a front tooth doesn't hurt, only an exam can tell whether the fracture stopped in the enamel or reached the dentin. This explains what that exam checks and how the restoration is chosen.
4 min read
Hallym, Seoul National University Team Confirms Pain Reduction From TMD App Add-On Treatment
A prescription smartphone app for temporomandibular disorder reduced pain more than a placebo app in a clinical trial. This piece covers the app's features, how the effect emerged, and the results from a trial at South Korean university hospitals.
3 min read
A Mouthguard Sensor That Measures Gum Inflammation in Real Time
A research team at Pusan National University has developed a wearable sensor embedded in a mouthguard that continuously measures the concentration of a gum-inflammation enzyme. This article explains how it captures its target using a molecularly imprinted polymer and interprets the signal with deep learning, along with validation results from a study of 60 adults.
4 min read
A Self-Test Kit for Periodontitis Has Arrived
Rinse with mouth rinse, drop it on a test strip, and within five minutes an aMMP-8 self-test kit tells you how much gum tissue destruction is happening right now. Several countries already use it. Here's how it works, how accurate it is, and where it misses early-stage disease.
4 min read
Why Are Bitewing Radiographs Used to Check for Cavities Between Teeth?
Cavities beneath the contact point between teeth are hard to find by sight or with a probe, so bitewing radiographs are used to check for them. This explains how the exam detects interproximal caries and secondary caries, and why it is repeated periodically.
4 min read
Laser Therapy for Peri-Implantitis: The Evidence Is Divided
Research is growing into using lasers or photodynamic therapy instead of antibiotics to treat peri-implantitis. Compared with antibiotics, the results were similar, but older and more recent studies disagree on the laser's own effect.
2 min read
Can a Tooth Extracted for Gum Infection Still Get a Same-Day Implant?
A tooth extracted because of gum infection can still be a candidate for a same-day implant if enough alveolar bone remains to achieve initial stability. This article also explains when delayed placement, such as with socket preservation, is chosen instead depending on infection risk and bone volume.
3 min read
How Far Can We Trust AI Diagnosis of Gum Bone Loss?
More dental clinics are using AI to flag areas of bone loss on X-rays before a dentist reviews them. A review of recent studies finds the technology is fairly reliable at spotting bone loss itself, but its accuracy varies by image type and diagnostic task, and it still cannot replace a hands-on probing exam of the gums.
3 min read
AI Cavity Detection: A Flagged Spot Isn't Always a Cavity
More dental clinics are having AI scan X-rays or intraoral photos first and flag spots that look like cavities. A review pooling multiple studies found that AI can both miss real cavities and flag false ones, meaning a dentist's final check is still needed.
4 min read
Do I Really Need a Crown on a Front Tooth After Root Canal Treatment?
How a root-canal-treated front tooth is finished depends on how much tooth structure remains. This article looks in turn at when a resin filling is enough, when a crown is considered, and why a post may be needed.
3 min read