Survey on Nursing Home Caregivers’ Basic Knowledge of Oral Health Management : Dental Terminology

With the increasing numbers of the elderly requiring care in Japan, the management of their oral health care will require cooperation between medical and dental professionals, and we need to transfer dental knowledge from dental professionals to caregivers. With the help of a questionnaire, we examined 181 caregivers’ depth of understanding regarding 20 typical dental terms with a view to improving the educational instruction provided to them. It was found that except for “clasp”, popular dental terms have largely been accepted. The differences in their degrees of understanding could be owing to the lack of systematic education for caregivers

Socioeconomic status and self-rated health of Japanese people, based on age, cohort, and period

Background: Differences in health resulting from differences in socioeconomic status (SES) have been identified around the world. Age, period, and cohort (A-P-C) differences in health are vital factors which are associated with disparities in SES. However, few studies have examined these differences simultaneously. Moreover, although self-rated health (SRH) has been frequently used as an indicator of health, biases in reporting SRH that depend on the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents have been scarcely adjusted in the previous studies. To overcome these limitations, we investigated the associations between disparities in SES and adjusted SRH based on A-P-C, by using a repeated, cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of Japanese people. In addition, we further investigated how exogenous (macroeconomic) conditions unique to a period or cohort would explain trends across successive periods and cohorts. Methods: Data were obtained from a sample of 653,132 Japanese people that responded to the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions (CSLC), which is a cross-sectional survey that had been conducted every three years from 1986 to 2013, on over 10 occasions. In the CSLC, SES has been assessed by household income. We simultaneously controlled for each A-P-C dimension by using the model for cross-classification of random effects, and adjusting SRH data for reporting biases caused by differences in income and A-P-C. Results: Differences in adjusted SRH associated with income differences decreased with age and reversed after 76 years of age. Period differences indicated that income differences peaked in 1992 and 2007. Moreover, differences in adjusted SRH associated with income differences decreased in periods with high unemployment across all periods. Furthermore, there were no cohort differences in adjusted SRH that were associated with income differences. Conclusion: In Japan, there are age and period variations associated with adjusted differences in SRH as assessed by income. Moreover, exogenous conditions in each period could help explain periodic trends across successive periods

Current status of collaborative relationships between dialysis facilities and dental facilities in Japan : results of a nationwide survey

Background: Recent studies have reported an association between periodontal disease and mortality among dialysis patients. Therefore, preventive dental care should be considered very important for this population. In Japan, no systematic education has been undertaken regarding the importance of preventive dental care for hemodialysis patients—even though these individuals tend to have oral and dental problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the current state of collaborative relationships between hemodialysis facilities and dental services in Japan and also to identify strategies to encourage preventive dental visits among hemodialysis outpatients. Methods: A nationwide questionnaire on the collaborative relationship between dialysis facilities and dental facilities was sent by mail to all medical facilities in Japan offering outpatient hemodialysis treatment. Results: Responses were obtained from 1414 of 4014 facilities (35.2%). Among the 1414 facilities, 272 (19.2%) had a dental service department. Approximately 100,000 dialysis outpatients were receiving treatment at these participating facilities, which amounts to one-third of all dialysis patients in Japan. Of those patients, 82.9% received hemodialysis at medical facilities without dental departments. Only 87 of 454 small clinics without in-house dental departments (19.2%) had collaborative registered dental clinics. Medical facilities with registered dental clinics demonstrated a significantly more proactive attitude to routine collaboration on dental matters than facilities lacking such clinics. Conclusions: Our nationwide survey revealed that most dialysis facilities in Japan have neither an in-house dental department nor a collaborative relationship with a registered dental clinic. Registration of dental clinics appears to promote collaboration with dental facilities on a routine basis, which would be beneficial for oral health management in hemodialysis patients

Cure of dry mouth by Jersey cow milk

The administration of Leu57-Leu58-His59-Lys60 (LLHK), Leu58-His59-Lys60 (LHK), and His59-Lys60 (HK) from β-lactoglobulin C variant, which is specific to Jersey cow milk, has been shown to prevent and/or restore the age-dependent atrophy and functional decline of salivary glands by affecting gene expression in elderly rats. In this study, we investigated the effect of Jersey cow defatted milk on salivary volume and composition in elderly persons. Participants (aged 85 to 98, n = 8) were administered defatted dry milk from Jersey cows twice a day for 4 weeks. Before and after 4 weeks from the start of drinking, saliva was collected and weighed. Salivary cystatin S and amylase levels were analyzed by Western blotting. To assess the effect of Jersey cow defatted milk on taste perception, questionnaires were used. Salivary volume after oral administration of 40 g of Jersey cow defatted dry milk daily for 4 weeks was 1.8 times higher than that before administration. Salivary cystatin S and amylase levels significantly increased after administration of Jersey cow defatted dry milk. Moreover, all participants who had taste impairment reported improved taste perception after administration. The administration of Jersey cow defatted dry milk increased salivary volume and changed the composition of saliva in elderly persons. Furthermore, it improved taste perception

Glycemic control in type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a typical lifestyle disease. We aimed to identify the factors affecting glycemic control in 64 outpatients with type 2 diabetes over a 2-year period. We defined poor glycemic control using a change in glycosylated hemoglobin (ΔHbA1c) of ≥ 0.5% over 2 years and/or HbA1c ≥ 7.5% at the end of the study period. We used a questionnaire to collect information on oral health behavior and lifestyle, including eating and smoking habits, and analyzed the relationships between indices of diabetes control and responses to the questionnaire. The mean (SD) HbA1c of the participants was 6.87% (0.77%) at a baseline, and 6.93% (0.69%) after 2 years. Twenty-three participants (36.0%) had poor glycemic control. ΔHbA1c and the change in body mass index (ΔBMI) correlated (Spearman’s rank correlation, r = 0.350, p < 0.01). The HbA1c at baseline was associated with eating slowly / chewing well, and ΔBMI was associated with perceived oral symptoms. Binominal logistic regression analysis revealed that poor glycemic control was associated with ΔBMI and a smoking habit (odds ratio : 1.62, 95% confidence interval : 1.08–2.42 ; and 4.01, 1.12–14.36, respectively). These findings imply that weight gain and a smoking habit are associated with poor glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes

Association between Oral Health Status and Diabetic Nephropathy-Related Indices in Japanese Middle-Aged Men

Oral health status is known to be associated with lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease. In Japan, around 40% of hemodialysis cases are patients with diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to clarify the association between oral health status and diabetic nephropathy-related indices in Japanese middle-aged men. Sixty-six men (age range: 55–64 years) with ≥20 remaining teeth and who received public medical checkups and oral examinations were enrolled. We examined correlations of age, body mass index, HbA1c, HDL-C, LDL-C, neutral fat, serum creatinine, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with the number of remaining teeth or the community periodontal index (CPI) score (periodontal pocket < 4mm: 0, 4–6 mm: 1, ≥6 mm: 2). A positive correlation between the CPI score and serum creatinine and a negative correlation between CPI score and eGFR (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, r = 0.459, p < 0.01, and r = −0.460, p < 0.01, respectively) were observed. The mean eGFR in the CPI score 0 group was significantly higher than that in the CPI score 1/2 group (82.6 vs. 70.7, Student’s t-test, p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis using eGFR as a dependent variable and age, CPI score, body mass index, HbA1c, and neutral fat as independent variables suggested that low eGFR (<60) could be attributed to CPI score (OR = 3.169, 95% CI: 1.031–9.742, p = 0.044). These results suggest a possible association between periodontal status and renal function in Japanese middle-aged men. Periodontal condition is controlled by oral prophylaxis, and periodontal disease and chronic kidney disease have some common risk factors. Thus, periodontal management can contribute to the prevention of severe chronic kidney disease

Diabetes indicators and oral health behavior

Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between diabetes-related indicators and oral health behavior among patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods : Seventy-four outpatients were included. We administered a questionnaire and divided the patients into two groups according to oral health behavior and eating habits. We then compared diabetes-related clinical records between the groups and performed logistic regression analysis. Results : Participants who brushed their teeth before bedtime every night had lower BMIs than those who did not. Participants who reported eating slowly and chewing well every day had significantly lower HbA1c than their counterparts. Participants who reported gum bleeding had significantly higher LDL-cholesterol than their counterparts. Binominal logistic regression analysis revealed that BMI < 25 was associated with not brushing teeth before bedtime every night, HbA1c < 7.5 with not eating slowly or chewing well every day, and LDL-cholesterol < 120 with gum bleeding (odds ratio : 0.140, 95% confidence interval : 0.036–0.540 ; OR : 0.085, 95% CI : 0.010.0–736, OR : 0.275, 95% CI : 0.077.0–979, respectively). Conclusions : Our findings suggest that toothbrushing before bedtime every night is associated with reduced risk of obesity and that eating slowly and chewing well are advantageous for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes

オーラルフレイルと身体的フレイルに関連する実態調査

本研究では身体的フレイルとオーラルフレイルに着目し，被験者自身が自覚する兆候の実態をアンケート調査を用いて検討した。アンケート調査に同意が得られた1,214名を対象とした。本研究は徳島大学病院臨床研究倫理審査委員会の承認を得て行った。身体的フレイルに関連する質問項目として，体重，疲労感，握力，活動量，歩行速度に関する5項目を，オーラルフレイルに関連する質問項目として，咀嚼や嚥下機能に加えて，残存歯，唾液，舌の機能に関する7項目を設定した。質問項目は4段階で評価させ，得点が高いほど虚弱傾向が強くなるように設定した。身体的フレイルに関連する総得点は，男女ともに60歳代が最も低く90歳代が最も高い値を示し，女性の場合60歳代の得点は70歳代と比較して有意に低い値を示した。オーラルフレイルに関連する総得点は身体的フレイルの得点と比較して，年齢階級が上がるごとに漸増する傾向が認められた。オーラルフレイルに関連する質問項目に関しては，一様の増加傾向を示す項目が多かったが，そのなかでも食べこぼし，嚙めない食べ物に関する項目の得点において，虚弱傾向を示す3点，4点を示す被験者数はともに50～60歳代間で有意に増加した。以上の結果より，オーラルフレイルにとっては50～60歳代が一つの重要な年代であり，特に「食べこぼし」や「嚙めない食べ物」に関する評価は重要である可能性が示唆された。In this study, a questionnaire survey was performed to investigate subjective symptoms focusing on physical frailty and oral frailty. A total of 1,214 subjects were enrolled with prior consent. The study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Committee of Tokushima University Hospital（No. 2404）. Five questions, comprising weight loss, exhaustion, physical activity, walking speed and grip strength, for physical frailty were asked to assess physical frailty；seven questions, comprising symptoms on mastication, swallowing, remaining teeth, saliva and tongue, were asked to assess oral frailty. All questions were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 4, with a higher score representing greater functional decline. The total score for physical frailty was lowest in the 60s and highest in the 90s for both males and females, and the score for females in their 60s was significantly lower than that for females in their 70s. On the other hand, the total score for oral frailty gradually increased with age. Scores for most questions regarding oral frailty increased with age. Especially, scores of 3 or 4 for symptoms indicating a frail condition, such as spilled food and chewing difficulty, uniformly increased until the 90s, and significant differences were found between the 50s and 60s. The results suggest that the important age for oral frailty might be the 50s to 60s and that an assessment of spilled food and chewing difficulty might be significant

Regular dental visits among hemodialysis patients

AIM To investigate awareness and attitudes about preventive dental visits among dialysis patients; to clarify the barriers to visiting the dentist. METHODS Subjects included 141 dentate outpatients receiving hemodialysis treatment at two facilities, one with a dental department and the other without a dental department. We used a structured questionnaire to interview participants about their awareness of oral health management issues for dialysis patients, perceived oral symptoms and attitudes about dental visits. Bivariate analysis using the χ 2 test was conducted to determine associations between study variables and regular dental check-ups. Binominal logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with regular dental check-ups. RESULTS There were no significant differences in patient demographics between the two participating facilities, including attitudes about dental visits. Therefore, we included all patients in the following analyses. Few patients (4.3%) had been referred to a dentist by a medical doctor or nurse. Although 80.9% of subjects had a primary dentist, only 34.0% of subjects received regular dental check-ups. The most common reasons cited for not seeking dental care were that visits are burdensome and a lack of perceived need. Patients with gum swelling or bleeding were much more likely to be in the group of those not receiving routine dental check-ups (χ 2 test, P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that receiving dental check-ups was associated with awareness that oral health management is more important for dialysis patients than for others and with having a primary dentist (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Dialysis patients should be educated about the importance of preventive dental care. Medical providers are expected to participate in promoting dental visits among dialysis patients