[ISY-1] Approach to the Centenarian Era from the dentistry in Japan
【略歴】1994 Graduated from Hokkaido University School of Dentistry,
1994-1995 Resident; Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center
1995-2012 Assistant professor, lecturer; Tokyo dental college
2001-2002 Visiting researcher; Philipps-Universität Marburg School of Dentistry
2012-2016 Chief; Department of Oral Diseases Research National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology,
201-2019 Vice-Chief; Research on Social and Human Sciences Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology
2019- Associate professor; Gerodontology, Department of Oral Health Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University
Looking back over the past 30 years, the average life expectancy of a Japanese has lengthened by 9 years from 75 to 84 years, and the rate of aging increased from 10% to 28%. In dentistry, the percentage of people reaching 8020 (having 20 or more teeth at the age of 80 years) has rapidly increased from 8.2% to 51.2%.
Simultaneously, gerodontology in Japan reached several turning points. One is that the effectiveness of the oral care advocated in Japan for preventing pneumonia was clarified. Subsequently, professionals from other fields have become interested in oral health diseases other than dental caries and periodontal disease, and cooperation between dentistry and other professions has progressed significantly, leading to oral function management in cancer therapies and acute care hospitals. Simultaneously, dysphagia rehabilitation was established through dental and medical cooperation and has rapidly infiltrated dentistry, together with the keyword aspiration, which has significantly modified dental education. The association between oral function and prevention of long-term care has been reported in fields other than medicine, and improvements in oral function and oral hygiene management are now positioned within long-term care insurance. Areas where dentists and dental hygienists are active within long-term care settings and the community-based integrated care system have expanded. These turning points have not only affected interprofessional collaboration and dental education but have also presented the outcomes of pneumonia, aspiration, and long-term nursing, which were previously not addressed in dentistry. It has become the impetus for significant change in subsequent gerodontology research.
A 6-year cohort study on long-term care prevention demonstrated that a decline in masticatory ability was associated with the need for long-term care. In 2018, sensational research results were published indicating that oral frailty was associated with physical frailty, sarcopenia, the need for long-term care, and death, which had a great impact not only on the dental community but also on medical welfare in Japan.
Thus, Japanese gerodontology is characterized by clear and easy-to-understand outcomes, such as pneumonia and long-term care, with dental hygienists being active not only in clinical practice but also in research. This is a great advantage for Japanese gerodontology, not found in dental research in other countries.
Significant developments are anticipated in the future of Japanese gerodontology due to the clear outcomes to date and participation of dental hygienists in research.
In this lecture, I would like to consider how Japanese dentistry should approach the Centenarian Era based on these background.
Simultaneously, gerodontology in Japan reached several turning points. One is that the effectiveness of the oral care advocated in Japan for preventing pneumonia was clarified. Subsequently, professionals from other fields have become interested in oral health diseases other than dental caries and periodontal disease, and cooperation between dentistry and other professions has progressed significantly, leading to oral function management in cancer therapies and acute care hospitals. Simultaneously, dysphagia rehabilitation was established through dental and medical cooperation and has rapidly infiltrated dentistry, together with the keyword aspiration, which has significantly modified dental education. The association between oral function and prevention of long-term care has been reported in fields other than medicine, and improvements in oral function and oral hygiene management are now positioned within long-term care insurance. Areas where dentists and dental hygienists are active within long-term care settings and the community-based integrated care system have expanded. These turning points have not only affected interprofessional collaboration and dental education but have also presented the outcomes of pneumonia, aspiration, and long-term nursing, which were previously not addressed in dentistry. It has become the impetus for significant change in subsequent gerodontology research.
A 6-year cohort study on long-term care prevention demonstrated that a decline in masticatory ability was associated with the need for long-term care. In 2018, sensational research results were published indicating that oral frailty was associated with physical frailty, sarcopenia, the need for long-term care, and death, which had a great impact not only on the dental community but also on medical welfare in Japan.
Thus, Japanese gerodontology is characterized by clear and easy-to-understand outcomes, such as pneumonia and long-term care, with dental hygienists being active not only in clinical practice but also in research. This is a great advantage for Japanese gerodontology, not found in dental research in other countries.
Significant developments are anticipated in the future of Japanese gerodontology due to the clear outcomes to date and participation of dental hygienists in research.
In this lecture, I would like to consider how Japanese dentistry should approach the Centenarian Era based on these background.