A tooth management method and terminal device that provide numerical information on tooth deterioration to the user.

Abstract

To provide a tooth management method and a terminal device for performing the same, which can periodically collect information on a user's tooth-related condition measured by a tooth diagnosis device and can simply and easily provide the user with information on the tooth condition based on the periodically collected tooth information. [Solution] The dental management method includes a step of calculating dental deterioration numerical information of a user during a second measurement period based on a first dental condition numerical value of each of the user's teeth during a first measurement period and a second dental condition numerical value of each of the user's teeth during a second measurement period after the first measurement period, and a step of providing the dental deterioration numerical information to the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dental management method capable of providing a user with numerical information on the deterioration of the state of their own teeth, and a terminal device for performing the same.

Background Art

[0002] After ingesting food, if the user does not brush their teeth thoroughly or use dental floss, food debris remains on the teeth, which allows bacteria to grow and infectious diseases such as dental caries may occur. In order to prevent the above-mentioned oral diseases and manage the teeth healthily, it is important to periodically measure the user's dental condition and observe the dental condition. Therefore, there is a growing need for a technology that can easily confirm the dental condition and at the same time provide the user with meaningful notification information related to the teeth based on the dental condition.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to periodically collect the user's dental-related state information measured by a dental diagnostic device, and to provide a dental management method capable of easily providing the user with the dental condition based on the periodically collected dental information, and a terminal device for performing the same.

[0004] Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental management method for providing the user with meaningful information related to the teeth, particularly numerical information on deterioration related to the teeth, based on the measured dental condition, and a terminal device for performing the same.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental management method capable of providing the user with genetic predisposition information related to the occurrence of dental caries, and a terminal device for performing the same.

[0006] Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tooth management method and a terminal device that can perform tooth management separately for management groups (for example, nurseries, kindergartens, and sanatoriums) that include multiple users, and provide users with comparative information related to the management group.

[0007] The objectives of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other objectives and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood from the following description and will be more clearly understood from the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the objectives and advantages of the present invention can be achieved by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A tooth management method performed on a processor-based device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: calculating numerical information on the deterioration of the user's teeth during a second measurement period based on numerical values ​​for the first tooth condition of each of the user's teeth during a first measurement period and numerical values ​​for the second tooth condition of each of the user's teeth during a second measurement period following the first measurement period; and providing the numerical information on the deterioration of the teeth to the user.

[0009] A terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a memory for storing computer-readable instructions, a processor embodied to execute the instructions, and a display unit for displaying the execution results of the instructions. The processor calculates numerical information on the deterioration of the user's teeth during a second measurement period based on numerical values ​​for the first tooth condition of each of the user's teeth during a first measurement period and numerical values ​​for the second tooth condition of each of the user's teeth during a second measurement period following the first measurement period. The display unit displays the numerical information on the deterioration of the teeth. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, tooth-related condition information of the user measured by a tooth diagnostic device can be collected periodically, and the tooth condition can be easily and readily provided to the user based on the periodically collected tooth information.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the present invention, meaningful notification information related to teeth, particularly numerical information regarding tooth deterioration, can be provided to the user based on the measured tooth condition.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide users with information on genetic predisposition related to the development of tooth decay.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the present invention, tooth management can be performed separately for each management group, which includes multiple users, and comparative information related to the management group can be provided to the users. In particular, the management group may be a nursery school, kindergarten, or nursing hospital. This can increase the sense of competition among multiple management users in tooth management, and tooth management can be carried out efficiently.

[0014] Furthermore, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, but should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention as described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a tooth management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a tooth diagnostic device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows a flowchart of a tooth management method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows a flowchart of a tooth management method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows a flowchart of a tooth management method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]It is a diagram showing numerical values of tooth states measured in the first and second measurement periods for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The present invention can be subjected to various modifications and can have various embodiments. Here, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing each drawing, similar reference numerals are used for similar components.

[0017] Terms such as "first", "second", etc. can be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. The term "and / or" includes combinations of a plurality of relatedly described items or any one of the plurality of relatedly described items.

[0018] The terms used in this specification are only used for explaining specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "including" or "having" are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be understood to preclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a tooth management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, a dental management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can include a dental diagnostic device 10, a user terminal 20, and a dental management server 30.

[0021] The dental diagnostic device 10 can be a device that measures the condition of a user's teeth and / or interdental region. As an example, the dental diagnostic device 10 can be a portable device that measures the condition of a user's teeth and / or interdental region using an optical sensor. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention can be applied to all types of dental diagnostic devices 10. As an example, the dental diagnostic device 10 includes a dental diagnostic device using an acidity (pH) measurement method, a camera-based dental diagnostic device, and a dental diagnostic device 10 linked to an X-ray.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a dental diagnostic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the dental diagnostic device 10 can include a state information measurement unit 110, a user interface unit (device UI) 120, a device communication unit 130, and a device processor 140.

[0023] The state information measurement unit 110 can include an optical sensor that measures the condition of a user's teeth and / or interdental region based on the transmission and reception of light (for example, laser). Alternatively, the state information measurement unit 110 can correspond to a probe including a pH sensor that measures the acidity (pH) of a user's teeth and / or interdental region.

[0024] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, "state information of teeth and / or interdental region" will be referred to as "dental-related state information".

[0025] The device UI (User Interface) 120 can receive an input signal from a user and display various information related to the state information measurement unit 110.

[0026] The device communication unit 130 may be a communication module that communicates with external electronic devices. In particular, the device communication unit 130 can transfer tooth-related status information to the user terminal 20. For this purpose, the device communication unit 130 may include a short-range communication module. In particular, the device communication unit 130 may include a Bluetooth® module.

[0027] The device processor 140 may include one or more of a central processing unit including internal memory, an application processor, or a communication processor. The device processor 140 can perform calculations and data processing related to the control and / or communication of at least one other component of the tooth diagnostic device 10. In particular, the device processor 140 can generate state information of teeth and / or interdental regions measured by the state information measurement unit 110.

[0028] Tooth-related status information can be associated with a status value (or caries progression value). For example, the status value can be any single number between 0 and 99. A higher status value may indicate a more severe caries progression in the tooth and / or interdental area, while a lower status value may indicate a healthier tooth and / or interdental area.

[0029] According to the embodiment, tooth-related state information can be represented in multiple stages. These multiple stages may include a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage.

[0030] Stage 1 may be the "good cavity" stage. The "good cavity" stage may be the stage where the tooth is hardly damaged. For example, the numerical range of the condition corresponding to Stage 1 may be 0 to 19 points.

[0031] Stage 2 may be the "caution against tooth decay" stage. The "caution against tooth decay" stage may be the stage in which the enamel of the tooth is damaged. For example, the numerical range of the condition corresponding to Stage 2 may be 20 to 39 points.

[0032] Stage 3 may be the caries risk stage. The caries risk stage may be the stage in which the enamel and dentin of the tooth are damaged. For example, the numerical range of the condition corresponding to Stage 3 may be 40 to 99 points.

[0033] Referring to the above, the tooth diagnostic device 10 can calculate tooth-related status information (status values) based on information measured by a light sensor or pH sensor, and transfer the calculated user's tooth-related status information to the user terminal 20. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. According to other embodiments, the tooth diagnostic device 10 can transfer information measured by a light sensor or pH sensor to the user terminal 20, and the user terminal 20 can also calculate tooth-related status information (status values) based on information measured by a light sensor or pH sensor.

[0034] Referring again to Figure 1, the user terminal 20 may be a device owned by the user. For example, the user terminal 20 may be a smart device such as a smartphone, smartpad, smartwatch, or smart TV.

[0035] If the user is an adult, the user terminal 20 may be a device owned by the user. If the user is a child, the user terminal 20 may be a device owned by the user's guardian. The user terminal 20 can receive the user's tooth-related condition information measured by the tooth diagnostic device 10, and can generate the user's oral condition information based on the received tooth-related condition information. The oral condition information can be visually output to the user.

[0036] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a user terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 3, the user terminal 20 may include a terminal communication unit 210, a terminal UI 220, a display unit 230, a terminal memory 240, and a terminal processor 250.

[0037] The terminal communication unit 210 may be a communication module that communicates with the tooth diagnostic device 10 and the tooth management server 30. For this purpose, the terminal communication unit 210 may include a first terminal communication module and a second terminal communication module.

[0038] The first terminal communication module can communicate with the dental diagnostic device 10. For example, the first terminal communication module may be a short-range communication module, and in particular, a Bluetooth® module.

[0039] The second terminal communication module can communicate with the tooth management server 30. For example, the second terminal communication module may be a short-range communication module (for example, a Wi-Fi® module) and / or a long-range communication module.

[0040] The terminal UI220 can receive input signals from the user. These input signals may include text signals, voice signals, and touch event signals. The display unit 230 may be a device capable of displaying images or video frames to the user. The display unit 230 can output the execution screen of an application run on the terminal processor 250, which will be described later, and can in particular visually display a variety of tooth images.

[0041] On the other hand, the terminal UI 220 and the display unit 230 can also be implemented in a single device. That is, the display unit 230 may be a touch display to which the user's touch signals are input, in which case the terminal UI 220 can be omitted in the user terminal 20.

[0042] The terminal memory 240 may be volatile and / or non-volatile memory and may store commands or data relating to at least one other component of the user terminal 20. In particular, the terminal memory 240 may store commands or data relating to applications (computer programs or recording media) performed on the user terminal 20.

[0043] Furthermore, the terminal memory 240 can store information related to the user (i.e., user information) and information related to tooth management. Here, user information can be input and collected from the user, and information related to tooth management can be collected from an external source via the terminal communication unit 210.

[0044] The terminal processor 250 may include one or more of the following: a central processing unit, an application processor, or a communication processor. The terminal processor 250 can perform calculations and data processing related to the control and / or communication of at least one other component of the user terminal 20. In particular, the terminal processor 250 can execute application commands.

[0045] Referring again to Figure 1, the tooth management server 30 can receive and store various types of information stored on the user terminal 20. For this purpose, the tooth management server 30 may include a communication unit, memory, and a processor.

[0046] The tooth care methods will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 4 through 7. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an overall flowchart of a tooth management method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] In this case, all stages of the tooth management method shown in Figure 4 can also be performed on the user terminal 20. On the other hand, some stages of the tooth management method shown in Figure 4 can also be performed on the tooth management server 30. In this case, some stages may be stages (S10) to (S40) described later, and a stage in stage (S50) where information or notification messages are generated for the user. For the sake of explanation, it will be assumed below that the tooth management method is performed on the user terminal 20.

[0048] Furthermore, it is assumed that the user terminal 20 is a smartphone equipped with a touch display unit 230. It is also assumed that the tooth management method is performed using a tooth management application executed on the user terminal 20, and that the user terminal 20 has completed communication connection (for example, Bluetooth® pairing) with the tooth diagnostic device 10. Finally, it is assumed that the tooth condition information is a numerical value representing the tooth condition.

[0049] The following describes in detail the process that takes place at each stage. In step (S10), the user terminal 20 can collect the numerical values ​​of the first tooth condition of the user's teeth measured by the tooth diagnostic device 10 during the first measurement period. The first measurement period can be defined as the period during which the user's tooth condition values ​​are first measured. The first measurement period may correspond to a specific day.

[0050] In step (S20), the user terminal 20 can receive user self-management information about teeth from the user during the non-measurement period. Here, the non-measurement period is a period that occurs after the first measurement period and may consist of multiple days. For example, the non-measurement period may be "15 days," but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0051] During the non-measurement period, tooth condition values ​​may not be received by the tooth diagnostic device 10. In other words, the non-measurement period may be the time interval between the first measurement period and the second measurement period described later.

[0052] Tooth self-management information can be entered via the touch display unit 230 of the user terminal 20. In other words, during non-measurement periods, the user can input information about their own tooth management into the user terminal 20. According to the embodiment, the tooth self-management information may include at least one of the following: information on toothbrushing performed by the user during non-measurement periods, information on the type of toothbrush used during toothbrushing, and information on the use of dental floss.

[0053] On the other hand, dental self-management information can be entered into the user terminal 20 on a daily basis, for example. If the user does not perform dental self-management on a particular day, the user may not enter dental self-management information into the user terminal 20. In other words, dental self-management information may only be entered into the user terminal 20 on specific days when the user does perform dental self-management.

[0054] To obtain dental self-management information from the user, the user terminal 20 can output (i.e., display) guidance messages to the user during non-measurement periods to encourage the user to perform dental self-management. Guidance messages can also be output to the user terminal 20 on a daily basis. The user may perform dental self-management after reviewing the guidance messages. Dental self-management information may correspond to responses to the guidance messages. For example, guidance messages may include "Did you brush your teeth today?" or "Did you use dental floss between your molars in the cavity warning stage?"

[0055] In step (S30), the user terminal 20 can collect the second tooth condition numerical values ​​of the user's teeth measured by the tooth diagnostic device 10 during the second measurement period. The second measurement period may be a period that occurs after the non-measurement period. That is, the second measurement period may be a measurement period after the first measurement period in which the user's tooth condition values ​​are collected by the tooth diagnostic device 10. The second measurement period may be a period that corresponds to a specific day.

[0056] On the other hand, the number of teeth for which the second tooth condition value is measured during the second measurement period and the number of teeth for which the first tooth condition value is measured during the first measurement period may be the same or different.

[0057] In step (S40), the user terminal 20 can calculate the user's tooth deterioration numerical information during the second measurement period based on the first and second tooth condition numerical values ​​of the user's teeth. This can be done by the terminal processor 250.

[0058] Here, the tooth deterioration numerical information is defined as information indicating how much worse the user's tooth condition was in the second measurement period compared to the user's tooth condition in the first measurement period. The tooth deterioration numerical information can correspond to the tooth deterioration numerical value. For the sake of explanation, this embodiment will be described assuming that the "tooth deterioration numerical information" is the "tooth deterioration numerical value".

[0059] On the other hand, generally speaking, the condition of teeth does not improve naturally without treatment at a hospital. Therefore, the tooth deterioration score cannot be negative and can only be a value of 0 or greater. Also, the tooth deterioration score can increase as the condition of the teeth worsens over time.

[0060] The embodiments of step (S40) will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the above-described step (S40).

[0061] Referring to Figure 5, in step (S40), the user terminal 20 can select at least one first tooth from the user's teeth based on the second tooth condition numerical value of each of the user's teeth, and calculate tooth deterioration numerical information by comparing the second tooth condition numerical value of each of the at least one first tooth with the first tooth condition numerical value of each of the at least one first tooth. This will be explained in detail below.

[0062] In step (S411), the user terminal 20 can select at least one first tooth from among the user's teeth based on the second tooth state value of each of the user's teeth. According to the embodiment, the user terminal 20 can select at least one first tooth from among the user's teeth that has a second tooth state value equal to or greater than a preset critical tooth state value.

[0063] In this case, the critical value for tooth condition can correspond to the minimum tooth condition value that causes damage to the tooth enamel. As an example, as described above, the tooth condition score can fall into one of the following stages: the good caries stage (Stage 1, 0-24 points), the caries caution stage (Stage 2, 25-35 points), and the caries risk stage (Stage 3, 36-99 points). The critical tooth condition score could be 25 points, which is the minimum score for the caries caution stage (i.e., the minimum tooth condition score that damages the enamel of the tooth). As another example, the critical tooth condition score could also be 36 points, which is the minimum score for the caries risk stage (i.e., the minimum tooth condition score that damages the dentin of the tooth).

[0064] In step (S412), the user terminal 20 can calculate the sum of the numerical values ​​of the second tooth state for at least one first tooth. In step (S413), the user terminal 20 can calculate the sum of the first tooth state values ​​for at least one first tooth. In step (S414), the user terminal 20 can calculate tooth deterioration numerical information during the second measurement period based on the difference between the sum of the second tooth condition numerical values ​​for at least one first tooth and the sum of the first tooth condition numerical values.

[0065] For example, the numerical information regarding tooth deterioration could be the simple difference between the sum of the second tooth condition values ​​and the sum of the first tooth condition values ​​(i.e., the difference value without weighting), or it could be the weighted difference between the sum of the second tooth condition values ​​and the sum of the first tooth condition values.

[0066] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 7, an embodiment of the stage (S40) described in Figure 5 will be explained in detail. Referring to Figure 7, the first tooth state values ​​for six teeth, teeth A, B, C, D, E, and G, were measured during the first measurement period. On the other hand, the tooth state of tooth F was not measured during the first measurement period, and therefore tooth F can have a first tooth state value of the default value (=0).

[0067] During the second measurement period, the second tooth condition values ​​were measured for seven teeth: teeth A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. In the case of tooth G, the second tooth condition value was smaller than the first tooth condition value. Therefore, it can be inferred that tooth G was treated at a hospital.

[0068] Based on the above, the process by which the user terminal 20 calculates the tooth deterioration numerical information will be explained. At this time, it is assumed that the critical value for tooth condition is 25 points, and that the tooth deterioration numerical information is the simple difference between the sum of the second tooth condition numerical values ​​and the sum of the first tooth condition numerical values.

[0069] First, the user terminal 20 can select four teeth (teeth A, B, D, and E) out of the seven teeth, where the second tooth state value is equal to or greater than the critical tooth state value (=25), as the first teeth. Next, the user terminal 20 can calculate the sum of the numerical values ​​for the second tooth state of each of the four first teeth (teeth A, B, D, and E) (=158).

[0070] Next, the user terminal 20 can calculate the sum of the numerical values ​​for the state of each of the four first teeth (teeth A, B, D, and E) (=120). Finally, the user terminal 20 can calculate the difference (=38) between the sum of the second tooth condition values ​​(=158) and the sum of the first tooth condition values ​​(=120) as the tooth deterioration value.

[0071] In short, according to one embodiment of stage (S40), if teeth in the "good caries" stage are used to calculate the tooth deterioration value, the tooth deterioration value may not accurately reflect the actual degree of tooth deterioration of the user. Therefore, the user terminal 20 can use only the first tooth, which belongs to the "caution" stage and the "danger" stage, to calculate the tooth deterioration value, and teeth belonging to the "good caries" stage can be excluded from the calculation of the tooth deterioration value.

[0072] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the tooth deterioration value is defined in such a way that it cannot have a negative value. However, teeth treated at a hospital GWhen used in calculating the tooth deterioration score, the score will have a reduced value. Therefore, to prevent errors in calculating the tooth deterioration score and to calculate the score accurately, teeth that received treatment at a hospital during the non-measurement period may be excluded from the calculation of the tooth deterioration score.

[0073] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the above-described step (S40). Below, we will explain each step in Figure 6 with reference to Figure 7. In step (S421), the user terminal 20 can select at least one first tooth from the user's teeth that has not received treatment during the non-measurement period.

[0074] As described above, teeth that received treatment at a hospital during the non-measurement period can be excluded from the calculation of tooth deterioration values. In this case, the user can also directly input information about treated teeth into the touch display 230, and the user can verify this by comparing the second tooth condition value with the first tooth condition value for each tooth.

[0075] Referring to Figure 7, the user terminal 20 can select six of the seven teeth that have not received treatment at the hospital (teeth A, B, C, D, E, F) as the first tooth. In step (S422), the user terminal 20 can set a weight value for each first tooth based on the second tooth state value of at least one first tooth. At this time, the weight values ​​for each first tooth may be the same or different.

[0076] According to the embodiment, if the numerical value of the second tooth state of the first tooth is less than a preset critical value for the first tooth state, the weighting value of the first tooth may be the first weighting value. Also, if the numerical value of the second tooth state of the first tooth is equal to or greater than the critical value for the first tooth state, the weighting value of the first tooth may be the second weighting value.

[0077] In this case, the second weighting value can be set to be larger than the first weighting value. In particular, the first weighting value can be a very small value, for example, 0. Also, the first critical value of tooth condition can be the minimum value of the caries warning stage (i.e., the minimum tooth condition value that damages the enamel of the tooth).

[0078] As an example, referring to Figure 7, when the critical value for the first tooth state is set to 25 points, teeth C and F can have relatively small first weight values, while teeth A, B, D, and E can have relatively large second weight values.

[0079] According to other embodiments, if the numerical value of the second tooth state of the first tooth is less than the critical value for the first tooth state, the weighting value of the first tooth may be the first weighting value. Also, if the numerical value of the second tooth state of the first tooth is greater than or equal to the critical value for the first tooth state and less than a preset critical value for the second tooth state, the weighting value of the first tooth may be the second weighting value. Furthermore, if the numerical value of the second tooth state of the first tooth is greater than or equal to the critical value for the second tooth state, the weighting value of the first tooth may be the third weighting value.

[0080] In this case, the second weighting value can be set to be larger than the first weighting value, and the third weighting value can be set to be larger than the second weighting value. In particular, the first weighting value can be a very small value, for example, 0. Also, the second critical value for tooth condition can be the minimum value for the caries risk stage (i.e., the minimum tooth condition value that damages the dentin of the tooth).

[0081] As an example, referring to Figure 7, if the critical value for the first tooth state is set to 25 points and the critical value for the second tooth state is set to 36 points, then the weights wC and wF of teeth C and F can have a first weight, the weights wA and wE of teeth A and E can have a second weight, and the weights wB and wD of teeth B and D can have a third weight.

[0082] In step (S423), the user terminal 20 can calculate the difference between the second tooth state value and the first tooth state value for each first tooth. As an example, referring to Figure 7, the difference values ​​for each of the six first teeth could be 2, 16, 1, 9, 11, and 7.

[0083] In step (S424), the user terminal 20 can calculate the weighted value-reflected difference value for each first tooth based on the difference value and the weighted value for each first tooth. According to the embodiment, the user terminal 20 can calculate the weighted value minus the reflected difference value for each first tooth by multiplying the difference value for each first tooth by the weighted value for each first tooth.

[0084] As an example, referring to Figure 7, the weighted values ​​and reflected difference values ​​for the six first teeth could be wA×2, wB×16, wC×1, wD×9, wE×11, and wF×7, respectively.

[0085] In step (S425), the user terminal 20 can calculate tooth deterioration numerical information based on the weighted value - reflected difference numerical value for each first tooth. According to the embodiment, the user terminal 20 can calculate tooth deterioration numerical information by summing the weighted value and reflected difference numerical value for each first tooth.

[0086] As an example, referring to Figure 7, the numerical information for tooth deterioration could be (wA×2)+(wB×16)+(wC×1)+(wD×9)+(wE×11)+(wF×7).

[0087] In short, according to other embodiments of stage (S40), teeth treated at a hospital can be excluded from the calculation of tooth deterioration scores. Furthermore, when calculating tooth deterioration scores, by setting the weighting of teeth in the "good caries" stage to be smaller than the weighting of teeth belonging to the "caution" and "danger" caries stages, the tooth deterioration score can accurately reflect the actual degree of tooth deterioration of the user.

[0088] Referring again to Figure 4, in step (S50), the user terminal 20 can provide the user with various information related to the numerical information on tooth deterioration and / or tooth management notification messages that guide the user in managing their teeth. The related information or tooth management notification messages can be displayed or output on the touch display 230.

[0089] According to the embodiment, in step (S50), the user terminal 20 can display numerical information on tooth deterioration on the touch display 230. Therefore, the user can easily check whether or not their teeth have deteriorated.

[0090] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, in step (S20), tooth self-management information can be entered at least once during the non-measurement period. In this case, in step (S50), the user terminal 20 can calculate the user's tooth self-management performance rate during the non-measurement period based on the tooth self-management information entered at least once. Then, in step (S50), the user terminal 20 can generate a tooth management notification message by combining the user's tooth self-management performance rate and the tooth deterioration numerical information.

[0091] For example, if the rate of tooth self-care is greater than the first critical rate corresponding to a high level, and the tooth deterioration value is greater than the first critical value corresponding to a high level, the user terminal 20 can generate a tooth care notification message that includes information on correct tooth self-care methods and / or genetic predisposition related to the development of tooth decay.

[0092] In other words, if both the rate of tooth self-care and the tooth deterioration score are high, it can be inferred that the user's tooth condition deteriorated significantly despite relatively good tooth care during the non-measurement period. The cause of such a situation may be that the user is performing incorrect tooth care or that the user's teeth are genetically weak. Therefore, the user terminal 20 can inform the user of the correct tooth self-care methods or inform the user that their teeth are genetically weak.

[0093] As another example, if the rate of tooth self-care is lower than the second critical level corresponding to a low level, and the tooth deterioration value is higher than the first critical value corresponding to a high level, the user terminal 20 can generate a tooth care notification message containing information to encourage the user to take better care of their teeth.

[0094] In other words, if the rate of self-management of teeth is low and the tooth deterioration score is high, it can be inferred that the user did not manage their teeth during the non-measurement period despite a significant deterioration in their dental condition. Therefore, the user terminal 20 can inform the user of the message, "You are not adequately managing your teeth. Please take better care of your teeth."

[0095] As another example, if the rate of dental self-care is greater than the first critical value corresponding to a high level, and the dental deterioration value is less than the second critical value corresponding to a low level, the user terminal 20 can generate a dental care notification message that includes information indicating that the user has diligently performed dental self-care.

[0096] In other words, if the rate of self-management of teeth is high and the tooth deterioration score is low, it can be inferred that the user managed their teeth relatively well during the non-measurement period and that the tooth deterioration score was low. Therefore, the user terminal 20 can inform the user that "the condition of your teeth was maintained by good self-management of your teeth."

[0097] On the other hand, a user may belong to the same target management group as at least one other user. For example, a target management group could be a nursery school, kindergarten, or convalescent hospital.

[0098] According to the embodiment, in step (S50), the user terminal 20 can generate and provide to the user first comparison information comparing the tooth deterioration score of each user belonging to the target management group with the user's tooth deterioration score. This can increase the user's competitive spirit in tooth management.

[0099] Here, the first comparative information can correspond to the percentile information of the user's tooth deterioration score, based on the tooth deterioration score of each user belonging to the target management group. For example, the user terminal 20 can provide the user with information that the user's tooth deterioration score is in the top 30% of the tooth deterioration scores of each user belonging to the target management group. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various types of information, such as rank information, can be provided to the user. Furthermore, the tooth deterioration scores of each user belonging to the target management group can be received from the tooth management server 30.

[0100] In another embodiment, in step (S50), the user terminal 20 can calculate and provide to the user second comparison information by comparing the tooth deterioration numerical information of the target management group with the tooth deterioration numerical information of at least one other management group. This allows for a comparison of tooth deterioration numerical values ​​by management group, further increasing the user's competitiveness in tooth management.

[0101] Here, the dental deterioration numerical information for the target management group and at least one other management group can be calculated based on the dental deterioration numerical information of the users belonging to the relevant management group. For example, the dental deterioration numerical information for the users belonging to the relevant management group may be the average value of the dental deterioration numerical values ​​of the users belonging to that group. In addition, the dental deterioration numerical values ​​of the other management groups can be received from the dental management server 30.

[0102] On the other hand, steps (S20) through (S50) can be repeated. That is, steps (S20) through (S50) can be performed periodically. In this case, the tooth state value from a previous period may be the tooth state value from the current period.

[0103] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention can be embodied in the form of program instructions that can be performed via various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., individually or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specifically designed and configured for the present invention, or they may be publicly known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code, such as that produced by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operation of one embodiment of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0104] As described above, the present invention has been explained with specific details such as concrete components, limited embodiments, and drawings. However, these are provided only to aid in a general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. A person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs can make various modifications and variations from this description. Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above, and it can be said that not only the claims described later, but also everything that is equivalent to or has an equivalent variation to the claims, falls within the scope of the concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1. Tooth Management System 10. Tooth diagnostic device 20 User terminals 30 Tooth Management Server 3 110 Status Information Measurement Unit 120 User Interface Section 130 Device Communication Unit 140 Device Processors 210 Terminal Communication Unit 220 Terminal UI 230 Display section 240 terminal memory 250 terminal processors

Claims

1. In a tooth management method performed using a processor-based device, A step of calculating the user's tooth deterioration numerical information during the second measurement period based on the numerical values ​​of the first tooth condition of each of the user's teeth during the first measurement period and the numerical values ​​of the second tooth condition of each of the user's teeth during the second measurement period following the first measurement period, The step includes providing the user with the numerical information regarding the deterioration of the teeth, The tooth management method is characterized in that the calculation step involves selecting at least one first tooth from among the teeth that has a second tooth state value equal to or greater than a predetermined critical value for tooth state, based on the second tooth state value of each of the teeth, and then comparing the second tooth state value of each of the at least one first tooth with the first tooth state value of each of the at least one first tooth to calculate the tooth deterioration numerical information.

2. The tooth management method according to claim 1, characterized in that the critical value of the tooth condition corresponds to the minimum tooth condition value that causes damage to the enamel of the tooth.

3. The calculation step described above is: The tooth management method according to claim 1, characterized in that the tooth deterioration numerical information is calculated based on the difference between the sum of the second tooth condition numerical values ​​for each of the at least one first tooth and the sum of the first tooth condition numerical values ​​for each of the at least one first tooth.

4. The tooth management method according to claim 1, characterized in that, among the teeth, teeth that received treatment during the non-measurement period between the first measurement period and the second measurement period are not included in the at least one first tooth.

5. The step of inputting the user's tooth self-management information at least once during the non-measurement period between the first measurement period and the second measurement period, The tooth management method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a tooth management notification message to guide the user in managing their teeth, by combining the user's tooth self-management performance rate during the non-measurement period, calculated based on the tooth self-management information entered at least once, with the tooth deterioration numerical information.

6. The aforementioned numerical information on tooth deterioration corresponds to the numerical value of tooth deterioration. The tooth management method according to claim 5, characterized in that the step of generating and providing to the user is to generate a tooth management notification message including correct tooth self-management methods and / or genetic predisposition information related to the development of tooth caries if the tooth self-management performance rate is greater than a first critical rate corresponding to a high level and the tooth deterioration value is greater than a first critical value corresponding to a high level.

7. The aforementioned numerical information on tooth deterioration corresponds to the numerical value of tooth deterioration. The tooth management method according to claim 5, characterized in that the step of generating and providing to the user is to generate a tooth management notification message containing information to encourage the user to perform tooth self-management if the tooth self-management performance rate is less than a second critical rate corresponding to a low level and the tooth deterioration value is greater than a first critical value corresponding to a high level.

8. The aforementioned numerical information on tooth deterioration corresponds to the numerical value of tooth deterioration. The tooth management method according to claim 5, characterized in that the step of generating and providing to the user is to generate a tooth management notification message that includes information that the user has diligently performed tooth self-management, if the tooth self-management performance rate is greater than a first critical rate corresponding to a high level and the tooth deterioration value is less than a second critical value corresponding to a low level.

9. The tooth management method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating first comparison information by comparing the tooth deterioration numerical information of each user belonging to the target management group to which the user belongs with the tooth deterioration numerical information of the user, and providing this information to the user.

10. The tooth management method according to claim 9, characterized in that the first comparative information corresponds to the percentile information of the tooth deterioration numerical information of each user belonging to the target management group, based on the tooth deterioration numerical information of each user.

11. The process further includes the step of calculating second comparative information by comparing the numerical information of tooth deterioration of the target management group with the numerical information of tooth deterioration of at least one other management group, and providing this information to the user. The tooth management method according to claim 9, characterized in that the numerical information of tooth deterioration for each of the target management group and the at least one other management group is calculated based on the numerical information of tooth deterioration for the users belonging to the respective management group.

12. Memory for storing computer-readable instructions, A processor embodied to execute the aforementioned instructions, Includes a display unit that displays the result of executing the aforementioned instruction, The processor calculates the user's tooth deterioration numerical information during the second measurement period based on the first tooth condition numerical value of each of the user's teeth during the first measurement period and the second tooth condition numerical value of each of the user's teeth during the second measurement period following the first measurement period. The display unit displays the numerical information regarding tooth deterioration. The terminal device is characterized in that the processor selects at least one first tooth from among the teeth that has a second tooth state value equal to or greater than a preset critical tooth state value, based on the second tooth state value of each of the teeth, and calculates the tooth deterioration value information by comparing the second tooth state value of each of the at least one first tooth with the first tooth state value of each of the at least one first tooth.

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