Influence of restricted mastication on swallowing function.

Background: Oral food processing is an important part of daily food intake. A major part of this process is mastication, which prepares a bolus of food for swallowing by mechanically crushing and grinding ingested food between the teeth using rhythmic movements. Masticatory dysfunction is common in the elderly and in some neurological disorders and can have serious negative health consequences.

Shock absorption and dispersion capability of a novel five-layer mouthguard sheet material.

There is a growing need for a mouthguard sheet material with higher shock absorption and dispersion capacity than those obtained by conventional materials. A five-layer mouthguard sheet material was previously developed using laminated ethylene vinyl acetate and polyolefin copolymer resin. In this study, the shock absorption capacity and dispersion capability of the new sheet material were investigated and compared with those of other materials.

Comparison of masticatory muscle activity between young adults and elderly participants using a novel standardized bite device.

Objectives: Standardized bite training is required to prevent oral hypofunction in elderly individuals. We aimed to compare masticatory muscle activity between 24 young adults and 16 pre-elderly individuals during a biting task using a novel standardized bite device (BD).

Methods: The BD was made of silicone rubber and included a high-force or low-force plate spring or no plate spring (dummy).

Analysis of definite awake bruxism using a portable electromyography device.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare awake bruxism events between subjective and objective evaluations using a questionnaire survey and a modified portable electromyography (EMG) device, and to examine correlations between sleep quality and awake bruxism.

Methods: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and awareness of awake bruxism as clarified via interviews were conducted on 34 participants as subjective evaluations. The EMG device was used to record left temporal muscle activity for 6.

Effect of clinical experience and training with visual feedback on standardized palpation outcomes-Potential implications for assessment of jaw muscle sensitivity.

Background: The evaluation of muscle pain and sensitivity by manual palpation is an important part of the clinical examination in patients with myalgia. However, the effects of clinical experience and visual feedback on palpation of the masticatory muscles with or without a palpometer are not known.

Objective: To estimate the effects of clinical experience and visual feedback on the accuracy of palpation in standardized settings.

Age differences in pain sensitivity and effect of topical lidocaine on the tongue in healthy female subjects.

Purpose: To assess the sensitivity and the effect of topical lidocaine on the tongue by quantitative sensory testing, comparing healthy middle-aged female subjects with healthy young female subjects.

Methods: Sixteen healthy female subjects including eight in their fifties and eight in their twenties participated. They participated in two sessions at a 2-week interval in randomized order: lidocaine (experimental session) or placebo gel (placebo session) was applied on the tongue tip for 5min.

Mandibular Advancement Device Therapy in Japanese Rugby Athletes with Poor Sleep Quality and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may contribute to poor sleep quality. This study assessed subjective sleep quality, the Respiratory Event Index (REI), reaction times, and the therapeutic effects of a custom-made mandibular advancement device (MAD) in male Japanese elite rugby athletes. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and level III sleep test (REI and minimum oxygen saturation [SpO2 min]) were used to evaluate sleep quality.

Improving Nasal Airflow with a Novel Nasal Breathing Stent.

Nasal obstruction requires close attention, as it is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study evaluated airflow rates of our newly designed nasal breathing stent (NBS) compared with those of existing nasal dilators in 10 adult men. We hypothesized that the NBS would expand the nasal passage more than the other nasal dilators by means of airflow measurements.

Overlapping Features in Kawasaki Disease-Related Arthritis and Systemic-Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Nationwide Study in Japan.

Arthritis may occur after the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD). Most cases are self-limiting; however, some patients require prolonged treatment. To characterize KD-related arthritis, 14 patients who required arthritis treatment within 30 days after the diagnosis of KD were recruited from the 23rd KD survey in Japan.

Standardized palpation of the temporalis muscle evoke referred pain and sensations in individuals without TMD.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine if standardized palpations of the temporalis muscle evoke referred pain and/or sensations in individuals without TMD.

Materials And Methods: This was a randomized, single-blinded study. The mechanical sensitivity of the right temporalis muscle was assessed in 32 participants without TMD with nine different stimulations to 15 test sites using palpometers (different stimulus intensities (0.

Comparison of 0.5% chlorhexidine gluconate alcohol with 10% povidone-iodine for skin disinfection in children to prevent blood culture contamination.

Introduction: Various disinfectants, such as povidone iodine (PVI), alcohol preparations, and chlorhexidine gluconate ethanol (CHG-ALC), are used for disinfection prior to blood sampling for culture.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study compared the usefulness and effectiveness of CHG-ALC and PVI in pediatric venipuncture. We applied 0.

Relationship between intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis and group B streptococcal colonization dynamics in Japanese mother-neonate pairs.

Introduction: In Japan, universal screening for group B streptococcal (GBS) colonization in pregnant women and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) are recommended to prevent neonatal GBS infection. However, the dynamics of GBS colonization in Japanese mother/neonate pairs have not been adequately studied.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted from July 2018 to March 2019.

Risk Factors of Coronary Artery Abnormalities and Resistance to Intravenous Immunoglobulin Plus Corticosteroid Therapy in Severe Kawasaki Disease: An Analysis of Post RAISE.

Background: Coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) still occur in patients with Kawasaki disease receiving intensified treatment with corticosteroids. We aimed to determine the risk factors of CAA development and resistance to intensified treatment in Post RAISE (Prospective Observational Study on Stratified Treatment With Immunoglobulin Plus Steroid Efficacy for Kawasaki Disease)-the largest prospective cohort of Kawasaki disease patients to date.

Methods: In Post RAISE, 2648 consecutive patients with Kawasaki disease were enrolled.

Mandibular Jaw Movement and Masticatory Muscle Activity during Dynamic Trunk Exercise.

The examination of jaw movement during exercise is essential for an improved understanding of jaw function. Currently, there is no unified view of the mechanism by which the mandible is fixed during physical exercise. We hypothesized that during strong skeletal muscle force exertion in dynamic exercises, the mandible is displaced to a position other than the maximal intercuspal position and that mouth-opening and mouth-closing muscles simultaneously contract to fix the displaced mandible.

Assessment of Screening for Nasal Obstruction among Sleep Dentistry Outpatients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Oral appliances (OA), a common treatment modality for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), are not suitable for patients with nasal obstruction. Rhinomanometry, the gold standard technique to assess nasal airway resistance, is not readily available in sleep dentistry clinics. We demonstrate the use of a portable lightweight peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) rate meter to objectively assess nasal airflow and utilized the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale to subjectively assess nasal obstruction in 97 patients with OSA and 105 healthy controls.

Compound heterozygous variants in the gene in a Japanese girl with sitosterolemia.

Sitosterolemia is an autosomal recessive disorder that affects lipid metabolism and is characterized by elevated serum plant sterol levels, xanthomas, and accelerated atherosclerosis. In this study, we report a novel nonsense single-nucleotide variant, c.225G > A (p.

Plasticity in corticomotor pathways linked to a jaw protrusion training task: Potential implications for management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

This study investigated the effect of a repeated and standardized jaw protrusion training (JPT) task on corticomotor excitability as assessed by motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in masseter and tongue muscle with the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Sixteen healthy participants performed three series of a standardized JPT task on three consecutive days. Each day participants performed 41-min of JPT consisting of three series.

Effect of the amount of light energy transmitted through CAD/CAM resin block on bonding performance of four types of resin cement adhesive systems.

Resin-ceramic hybrid materials for computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM resins) have been developed. In this study, the effects of the amount of light energy transmitted through the four types of 1.5-mm-thick CAD/CAM resin blocks on the bond performance of corresponding resin cement adhesive systems consisting of an adhesive and a dual-curable resin cement were examined.