Panoramic Examination Urged in National Oral Examination System

South Korea: The “Public Hearing on the Activation of the National Oral Examination System for the Introduction of the Oral Examination Panorama,” was held on the 2nd of this month, hosted by the Korea Dental Association and chaired by Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Chun-sook, who is the Chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly.

The public hearing was aimed at discussing ways to improve public oral health through the introduction of panoramic examinations in the national oral examination. The problems of the current oral examination system were reviewed, and in-depth discussions were held on institutionalization plans, expected effects, and effectiveness.

Efficacy and Safety of Panoramic Examination Highlighted

The public hearing consisted of presentations and panel discussions, with Prof Kim Jin-su from the Department of Imaging Dentistry at Chosun University of Dentistry presenting the expected effects and institutional improvement plans when the panoramic examination is introduced to the national oral examination system.

The current national oral examination system is faced with a low examination rate, with the acceptance rate for oral examinations in 2020 only being 25.6%. The current method of screening with the naked eye has been criticized for its clinical limitations, leading to the need for introducing panoramic examinations.

The advantages of introducing the panoramic examination were highlighted, including improved confidence and satisfaction among examinees, improved understanding of diseases, early treatment, increased interest in oral health, and easier application to a large population.

The current national oral examination system is faced with a low examination rate, with the acceptance rate for oral examinations in 2020 only being 25.6%.

Making General Oral Examination Compulsory Discussed

In the panel discussion, various parties came forward to present a detailed plan for improving the national oral examination system. Director Jin Seung-wook emphasized the need to revise the Occupational Safety and Health Act to make general oral examinations compulsory.

Prof Kim Jin-su highlighted that the introduction of panoramic examination in oral examination will have positive effects such as improving the long-term survival rate of teeth.

Despite some concerns over the cost of the examination and the amount of radiation exposure, it was emphasized that the benefits outweigh the costs when considering the expected effects, such as early detection of oral diseases and improvement of patients’ quality of life.

Need to revise Occupational Safety and Health Act

Director Jin Seung-wook emphasized the need to revise the Occupational Safety and Health Act to make general oral examinations compulsory. This is because in 2005, “dental examination” was deleted from the mandatory examination items under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and it has continued to this day.

Director Jin said, “At the time, the number of institutions that conducted oral examinations was small, and it was difficult to recruit institutions, so ‘dental examination’ was deleted.” He added that with the current high number of institutions conducting oral examinations, there should be no difficulty in making it compulsory.

In addition, Prof Heo Min-seok mentioned that the current level of radiation exposure from the panoramic examination was not high enough to worry about, and that the benefits of early detection and treatment of oral diseases far outweighed the potential risk.

Secretary General Jeong Ji-yeon (Korea Consumer Federation) and Secretary Park Ji-min (Health Promotion Division, Ministry of Health and Welfare) also presented their opinions and expectations on the introduction of panoramic examinations into the national oral examination system.

Source: Dailydental.co.kr