Earticle

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of provisional crowns manufactured using a milling machine and a digital light processing (DLP) printer. Methods: A full-contour crown was designed using computer-aided design software. Provisional crowns of this design were manufactured using a milling machine and using a DLP three-dimensional (3D) printer (N=20). The provisional crowns were digitized with an extraoral scanner, and 3D deviation analysis was applied to the scanned data to confirm their accuracy. An independent t-test was performed to detect the significant differences, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for analysis (α=0.05). Results: No significant differences were found among the precision of marginal surface between the printed and milled crowns (p=0.181). The trueness of marginal and internal surfaces of the milled crowns were statistically higher than those of the printed crowns (p=0.024, p=0.001; respectively). Conclusion: The accuracy of provisional crowns manufactured using a milling machine and a 3D printer differed significantly except with regards to the precision of the internal surface. However, all the crowns were clinically acceptable, regardless of the manufacturing method used.

Purpose: This study aims to confirm the effect of clinical practice on dental technology students by comparing preclinical expectations and post-training satisfaction of dental technology students in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do during the coronavirus disease pandemic. Methods: This study included students enrolled in the Department of Dental Technology of D University in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. The purpose of the study was explained in advance and 70 students agreed to participate in the survey. IBM SPSS Statistics version 18.0 was used for data analysis and the significance level was tested at p=0.05. Results: There were significant differences in clinical practice content, operation, institutional expectations, and satisfaction. Conclusion: Based on the differences in expectations and satisfaction in this study, schools, industries, and associations can study ways to increase satisfaction in terms of clinical practice content, operation, and institution to present directions for dental technology and clinical practice.

Purpose: This study aims to identify the recognition, readiness, and awareness of the need for education in the era of the 4th industrial revolution among dental technology students in the healthcare field, and to provide essential data for the development of a future-oriented curriculum. Methods: A survey of 260 students, who were briefed about the purpose of this study, was conducted at D University and G University, located in Daejeon and Gangwon-do, South Korea, respectively. A total of 229 questionnaires, excluding 31 with insufficient responses, were analyzed. Results: 1. Recognition of the 4th industrial revolution was 3.43±0.77, preparedness was 2.91±0.84, and awareness of the need for education was 3.86±0.80. 2. Major satisfaction was found to have a significant effect on concept recognition and impact recognition of the 4th industrial revolution, readiness level, and the need for education (p<0.001). Conclusion: It is necessary to develop an education program on specialized skills (professional knowledge) related to the 4th industrial revolution, and to implement such a program that serves the educational needs of individual groups.

Purpose: This study examined the factors influencing the choice of dental clinics by individuals who received orthodontic treatment for malocclusion. Methods: Participants were 320 male and female college students in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk- do who had received orthodontic treatment in dental clinics for malocclusion. They were surveyed about their choices of dental clinics. Of the 320 questionnaires, 294 (91.9%) were used for analysis, and surveys with insufficient responses or errors were excluded. Results: The factors influencing the choice of dental clinics varied among the participants. Furthermore, factors that most commonly affected their choices were, in order, trust in dentists’ skills and medicine used, information from community sources, friendliness of the dentist, friendliness of clinic staff, cleanliness of the hospital, availability of up-to-date medical facilities and equipment, convenience of location, and recommendations by acquaintances. Conclusion: Factors underlying the choice of dental clinics varied among the participants. Typically, these choices were strongly influenced by factors such as reputation, professionalism, and friendliness.

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate how one’s motive to choose a major of study, career values, and satisfaction with the major affect immersion within the major. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire on choice of major and career values was completed by 224 students from March 2nd to March 15th of 2022. The collected data were analyzed using several metrics and tests with IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 software: frequency and percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and linear regression. Results: The average scores of the motive to choose a major, career values, satisfaction with the major, and immersion in the major were 3.15, 3.91, 3.56, and 3.45, respectively. There were significant correlations between all four variables (p<0.05). Career values and satisfaction with the major positively influenced a student's immersion in that major; the explanatory power of the model was 77% (p<0.01). Conclusion: The department should offer education on career values to further increase the immersion of dental technician students within their chosen major.