Longitudinal Evaluation of Community Support Project to Improve Oral Function in Japanese Elderly.

Change in oral function was evaluated longitudinally in elderly persons participating in an Exercises for Healthy Oral Function program implemented as part of the Long-Term Care Prevention Project. The participants comprised high-risk and healthy persons aged 65 yr or over. A questionnaire was used to classify them into two groups ('every day or sometimes' or 'rarely') at the end of the study for a comparison of change in repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) scores and oral diadochokinesis between 3 time points: at before, at immediately after, and at 1 yr after completion of the program.

Career paths and aspirations among postgraduate dental trainees on completion of clinical residency program at Tokyo Dental College.

Career paths and aspirations were investigated among postgraduate dental trainees on completion of clinical training at Tokyo Dental College between 2006, when clinical residency became mandatory, and 2011. Overall, those finding employment with independent general dental practitioners accounted for the majority (34%), followed by those entering postgraduate courses at the Chiba Hospital (20%), those embarking on a postgraduate clinical specialty course at the Chiba Hospital (16%), and those going on to other universities (7%). At the Chiba Hospital, the number selecting postgraduate courses, residency training (including further residency training or a postgraduate clinical specialty course), or employment with a general dental practitioner was almost the same; however, the number selecting postgraduate courses at the Suidobashi Hospital was low, showing a strong tendency toward becoming a general or clinical practitioner.

Monitoring caries risks before the window of infection and later caries increment: a caries prediction study on rapid detection of Streptococcus mutans using monoclonal antibodies.

A new semi-quantitative enumeration system has been developed for the detection of Streptococcus mutans in saliva. Using two kinds of species-specific monoclonal antibodies, this system can quickly detect salivary S. mutans within 30 min and classify the results into three levels.

Recent trends among dental residents at Tokyo Dental College.

Trends among dental residents at Tokyo Dental College between 2006, at which time clinical residency became mandatory, and 2011 were analyzed and the following results obtained. Almost all the eligible students from our school participated in the orientation seminar on dental residency programs. Although the number varied slightly by year, approximately 70 to 150 students from other schools also participated in these orientation seminars.

Does mandatory postgraduate clinical training worsen geographic distribution of dentists in Japan?

Postgraduate clinical training for dentists has been mandatory in Japan since 2006. Hirata et al. reported that the geographic distribution of postgraduate dental trainees by prefecture in 2006 was worse than that of practicing dentists.

Trends in percentage of postgraduate dental trainees at dental clinics.

A facilities-group system designed to provide clinical training at dental clinics was developed after postgraduate clinical training became mandatory for dentists in Japan in 2006. As a result, there has been a steady increase in the number of dental clinics collaborating with dental school hospitals under this program. A larger number of dental clinics have also been designated as single-system facilities, program management facilities or collaborating facilities.

Factor analysis on implementation of domiciliary dental care in Metropolitan Tokyo.

The need for domiciliary dental care has increased with the aging of Japanese society. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Dental Association conducted a survey of dental institutions within Tokyo in order to clarify which factors influenced implementation of domiciliary dental care by dental institutions. The proportion was significantly higher in (1) dentists in their 50s or older, (2) those working in cooperation with primary care physicians, (3) those providing dysphagia rehabilitation, (4) those who give information on prevention of aspiration pneumonia, (5) those who attended training on medical or domiciliary dental care for the elderly in need of nursing care, and (6) those who attended training workshops and seminars provided by the Tokyo Dental Association in 2010.

Evaluation of a Japanese "Prevention of long-term care" project for the improvement in oral function in the high-risk elderly.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyze the improvement in oral function and environment in high-risk elderly persons participating in a program to improve oral function organized by their local government.

Methods: Participants comprised 36 high-risk elderly and the mean age was 77.11 ± 7.

Targeting individual empowerment to raise leaders for local oral health promotion in Japan.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of human resources for health promotion advocacy in a rural community. A 16-item questionnaire was sent to 1000 residents of a rural Japanese town. Items concerned demographics, participation in organizational activities, awareness of volunteer activities, and willingness to participate in community-based oral health activities.

Geographic distribution of dentists in Japan: 1980-2000.

Objective: In the late 1950s and 1960s, Japan recognized that it had a shortage of dentists and that they were unevenly distributed. To solve these problems, four national and eight private dental schools were established, leading to a significant increase in the number of dental students in the 1970s and 1980s. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of this increased supply on the geographic distribution of dentists in Japan.

Factor analysis on oral health care for acute hospitalized patients in Japan.

Aim: We conducted a survey to investigate the status regarding the implementation of oral health care for inpatients aged 65 years and older who were in the acute stages of stroke and to examine the factors related to the details of excellent model hospitals.

Methods: We sent a questionnaire on oral health care targeting all 8089 hospitals in Japan. On the basis of the responses obtained from the hospitals, we conducted a survey to analyze the factors defining what are known to be excellent model hospitals.

Matching system within clinical training facilities group of clinical dental training in Tokyo Dental College Chiba Hospital.

Since clinical dental training became mandatory in April 2006, Tokyo Dental College Chiba Hospital has been offering the following two types of training system: 1. a single system, and 2. a clinical training facilities group system.

Geographic distribution of postgraduate dental trainees in Japan.

Postgraduate clinical training for dentists in Japan became mandatory in April 2006. Mandatory postgraduate clinical training for physicians has been criticized as having accelerated the imbalance in distribution of physicians. This suggests the danger that the same phenomenon might occur in distribution of dentists.

[The meaning and problem of the 8020 movement in Japan].

In 1982 the Health and Medical Service Law for the elderly was enacted. Until 1982 medical services for the elderly were provided free or charge in Japan, causing rising health expenditure on the elderly. One purpose of the law was to introduce partial cost-sharing and health services for the elderly, but dental health services were not included in the Law.