What impact does postgraduate clinical training have on empathy among Japanese trainee dentists?

Background: Enhancing empathy in healthcare education is a critical component in the development of a relationship between healthcare professionals and patients that would ensure better patient care; improved patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, patients' medication self-efficacy, improved treatment outcomes, and reduced patient anxiety. Unfortunately, however, the decline of empathy among students has been frequently reported. It is especially common when the curriculum transitions to a clinical setting.

Coating method for smooth and reinforced surface layer of highly translucent zirconia.

Due to the recent evolution of dental ceramic materials, highly translucent zirconia materials have been developed. While this material has high aesthetics, there is still room for improvement in strength. In this study, we investigated to strengthen the high translucent zirconia material.

Toughening of highly translucent zirconia by monoclinic ZrO and SiO particle coating.

The mechanical properties of highly translucent partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) need to be improved; however, improvement of mechanical properties often decreases translucency. To overcome this problem, a monoclinic ZrO (mZrO)/SiO dispersion was prepared and applied as a coating material for PSZ. The influence of surface treatment by the mZrO/SiO dispersion on the surface topography, crystallography, and mechanical properties of highly translucent PSZ was investigated in this study.

Fibronectin-induced ductal formation in salivary gland self-organization model.

Background: Recent advances in tissue regeneration approaches including 3D organoids, were based on various 3D organogenesis models. However, 3D models are generally technique-sensitive and time-consuming. Thus, we utilized an existing model of submandibular salivary gland (SMG) to modify a simple and highly reproducible in vitro 3D culture model of primary SMG cells self-organization into a well-developed cell spheroid inside Matrigel substrate.

Improvement of mechanical properties of Y-TZP by thermal annealing with monoclinic zirconia nanoparticle coating.

Objective: To assess whether a thermal annealing with a monoclinic zirconia (mZrO) nanoparticle coating can improve the reliability of sandblasted yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP) and maintain its mechanical strength.

Methods: Commercially available Y-TZP (Lava Frame, 3M Dental Products) disks were sintered and surface-treated as follows: AS (as sintered, with no treatment); SB (sandblasting); SB-TA (sandblasting followed by thermal annealing at 1000 °C); and SB-mZr-TA (sandblasting followed by thermal annealing at 1000 °C with the mZrO nanoparticle coating). The mZrO nanoparticles of 21 nm in size were prepared by a hydrothermal method, and coated onto Y-TZP sintered disks as a 5 g/L ethanol dispersion.

Relationship of trainee dentists' self-reported empathy and communication behaviors with simulated patients' assessment in medical interviews.

Objectives: We aimed to clarify the communication behaviors between trainee dentists and simulated patients (SPs), to examine how the level of trainee dentists' self-reported empathy influences assessment by SPs in medical interviews.

Materials And Methods: The study involved 100 trainee dentists at Okayama University Hospital and eight SPs. The trainee dentists conducted initial interviews with the SPs after completing the Japanese version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE).

Optimal sandblasting conditions for conventional-type yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals.

Objective: To assess the influence of sandblasting conditions applied to conventional-type yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) on surface roughness, phase transformation, and biaxial flexural strength.

Methods: Commercially available Y-TZP (Lava Frame, 3M Dental Products) disks were used after sintering (specimen dimensions: 14mm in diameter and 1.2mm in thickness).

Resin adhesion strengths to zirconia ceramics after primer treatment with silane coupling monomer or oligomer.

Resin bonding to zirconia ceramics is difficult to achieve using the standard methods for conventional silica-based dental ceramics, which employ silane coupling monomers as primers. The hypothesis in this study was that a silane coupling oligomer -a condensed product of silane coupling monomers- would be a more suitable primer for zirconia. To prove this hypothesis, the shear bond strengths between a composite resin and zirconia were compared after applying either a silane coupling monomer or oligomer.

MSCs feeder layers induce SMG self-organization and branching morphogenesis.

Dysfunction of salivary glands leads to several oral health problems, including dental caries, mastication and swallowing dysfunctions and multiple oral infections. Conventional treatments for such condition fell short of providing satisfying therapeutic results. Recent advances in organ regeneration therapy which utilize tissue stem cells to fabricate bioengineered 3D organ buds, have introduced a promising therapeutic tool for full functional organ regeneration.

MCSF orchestrates branching morphogenesis in developing submandibular gland tissue.

The importance of macrophages in tissue development and regeneration has been strongly emphasized. However, the specific roles of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF), the key regulator of macrophage differentiation, in glandular tissue development have been unexplored. Here, we disclose new macrophage-independent roles of MCSF in tissue development.

Functional peptide KP24 enhances submandibular gland tissue growth .

Introduction: Salivary gland hypofunction, also known as xerostomia, occurs as a result of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, autoimmune diseases, or aging. Xerostomia leads to oral health problems and thus affects the quality of life. Biological salivary gland tissue generated would provide an alternative mode of treatment for this disease.

Peptide-modified Substrate for Modulating Gland Tissue Growth and Morphology In Vitro.

In vitro fabricated biological tissue would be a valuable tool to screen newly synthesized drugs or understand the tissue development process. Several studies have attempted to fabricate biological tissue in vitro. However, controlling the growth and morphology of the fabricated tissue remains a challenge.

Influence of anteroposterior mandibular positions on facial attractiveness in Japanese adults.

Introduction: Our aims in this study were to determine the anteroposterior facial relationship that is regarded as most attractive by Japanese laypersons in a questionnaire survey and to evaluate which analysis of the soft-tissue profile is most suitable for Japanese people.

Methods: We showed 262 Japanese laypersons (121 male, 141 female) 9 morphed profile images with Point B and menton anteriorly or distally moved by software and asked them to number them sequentially according to their attractiveness. To examine which analysis best reflects facial attractiveness as judged by laypersons, we made 5 types of analyses of the facial profile with 11 variables in the 9 images.