open access
메뉴
ISSN : 0376-4672
Purpose: The Health Policy Institute of the Korean Dental Association (KDA-HPI) has served as Korea’s main think tank for dental policy research. Fifteen years after its establishment, population aging, workforce imbalance, and changes in the national health insurance system call for redefining its role. This study explored the current status and future directions of the KDA-HPI from the perspectives of former and current leaders and executive staff.Materials and Methods: A qualitative design was used, including focus group interviews with former and current directors and vice-directors (n=9) and written surveys from former and current executive staff responsible for research coordination (n=6). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Three themes emerged. First, participants emphasized building an evidence-based policy foundation and systematically training dental policy research experts. Second, priority research areas included oral health care for older adults (including home-visit dental care), dentist workforce supply and distribution, policy collabora-tion and political engagement, and future-oriented long-term agendas. Third, improvement strategies focused on clarifying the relationship between the Institute and the Association to ensure continuity, strengthening research infrastructure and professional researcher support, and establishing cooperative roles with the forthcoming Na-tional Dental Research Institute.Conclusion: The KDA-HPI should develop an independent and sustainable operating system, enhance research capacity through recruitment and retention, and pursue proactive long-term policy studies. Incorporating ex-ternal stakeholder perspectives may further strengthen legitimacy and strategic influence. (J Korean Dent Assoc 2026; 64(1): 1-7)
Concrescence represents a rare tooth abnormality in which adjacent teeth are united in the cementum. Since the crown of a tooth has a standard anatomical structure, concrescence is not easily diagnosed clinically. In fact, it is easy to mistake concrescence as just overlapping in the radiograph of two adjacent teeth. The presence of concrescent teeth may influence the extraction of teeth, endodontic treatment, and even orthodontic treatment. Therefore, the possibility of these abnormalities in diagnosis and treatment plans should be considered for over-lapped teeth. This case report demonstrates the diagnosis of concrescence through preoperative cone-beam computed tomography and the subsequent histological analysis of the extracted tooth. (J Korean Dent Assoc 2026; 64(1): 8-12)
This report presents two cases demonstrating long-term tooth preservation through supportive periodontal ther-apy (SPT) following active treatment. Case 1 involved a 44-year-old female diagnosed with generalized Stage III periodontitis in 1988, who underwent comprehensive non-surgical and surgical treatment followed by indi-vidualized SPT for 35 years, totaling 169 recall visits. Except for one molar, all teeth remained stable. Case 2, a 41-year-old female diagnosed in 2008 with generalized Stage III periodontitis and advanced bone loss, received repeated non-surgical therapy with adjunctive doxycycline, successfully delaying multiple extractions for over 10 years until selective implants were placed. Both patients showed excellent compliance and received adjunctive interventions when indicated. These cases highlight the critical role of individualized SPT in preventing recur-rence, maintaining periodontal stability, and extending tooth survival in periodontally compromised patients through periodic evaluation, risk-factor control, and continuous reinforcement of oral hygiene. (J Korean Dent Assoc 2026; 64(1): 13-19)
