横井 美有希

ABSTRACT Objective We aimed to examine the effects of oral care in patients with terminal cancer approaching death. Background Patients with terminal‐stage cancer often experience symptoms like oral dryness and candidiasis. Previous studies showed that without professional dental care, oral hygiene significantly worsens within 3 weeks before death. Therefore, oral management is essential for patients with terminal cancer. However, the specific effects of oral hygiene in these patients remain unclear. Material and Methods Twenty patients were admitted to two palliative care units at our institution between June 2022 and May 2023 and received oral care multiple times before death. Oral hygiene was assessed using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), and oral dryness was evaluated with an oral moisture checker. The Face Rating Scale (FRS) was assessed before and after professional oral care. Results During the week of death, the number of people who were able to speak and follow instructions decreased, while the number who used sedatives and oxygen increased. There was no significant difference in the degree of oral dryness before oral care between the time of hospitalisation and the week of death. However, oral dryness improved significantly after oral care at admission (before: 21.0 ± 8.3, after: 26.7 ± 3.2) and the week of death (before: 16.8 ± 8.4, after: 25.8 ± 3.7). There was no difference in the time taken for oral care or FRS scores at admission and the week of death. Conclusion Continuous oral care in patients with terminal cancer can prevent worsening oral hygiene and maintain moisture.

ABSTRACT Background There is growing interest in the relationship between oral function and lifestyle‐related diseases. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the associations between the results of oral function tests and those of blood tests for lipid abnormalities, glucose metabolism and kidney function. Methods A total of 118 individuals aged ≥ 50 years (80 men and 38 women) who had undergone health check‐ups at our hospital in 2021 and 2023 were examined. Based on the fasting blood glucose (GLU), HbA1c, high‐density lipoproteins (HDL), low‐density lipoproteins (LDL), urea nitrogen (BUN) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values obtained from the health check‐up results; the subjects were divided into two groups: those with test values outside the reference range in 2021 and/or 2023 and those with test values within the reference range. The results of seven oral function tests were compared between the groups using the Mann–Whitney U test. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results The group with GLU and HbA1c values outside the reference ranges had significantly lower numbers of remaining teeth (RTN) and oral diadochokinesis (OD) values compared to the group within the reference range. The groups with HDL and LDL values outside the standard ranges had a significantly higher tongue coat index (TCI) and significantly lower OD. Significant differences in TCI and OD/ta/ /ka/ were observed between BUN groups within and outside the reference range. Likewise, significant differences in TCI, RTN and OD/ta/ /ka/ were observed between eGFR groups within and outside the reference range. Conclusions Subjects with blood test values outside the reference range exhibited a decline in oral function, indicating that a decline in oral function might increase the risk of lifestyle‐related diseases and facilitate the progression of frailty.

Abstract Objective This study aims to investigate how experimental tooth loss affected learning, memory function, and brain pathophysiology in mice. Materials and Methods The mice (C57BL/6 J, 2‐month‐old, male) were divided into tooth loss and control groups. The behavioral test battery was performed at 6 and 12 months after tooth extraction. The protein levels of the tight junctions in the brains of the mice were analyzed. Hippocampal astrocyte was measured using immunohistochemical staining. Results The results of behavioral tests and biochemical analysis performed during the 6 months observation period did not show significant differences between the groups. However, the escape latency in the tooth loss group was significantly longer than that in the control group at the 12 months after tooth extraction. The level of claudin‐5 decreased in the tooth loss group. Additionally, hippocampal astrogliosis was found in the tooth loss group. Conclusions Experimental tooth loss reduced the level of claudin‐5 and caused astrogliosis in the brains of mice, which was accompanied by deterioration of learning functions. This study may provide a new insight about the association between tooth loss and cognitive dysfunction.

<p>The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristic structures and osteoconduction ability of porous titanium structures using a resin-impregnated titanium substitution fabrication technique.</p>

Abstract This study investigated the clinical utility of an ultrasound axial transmission device in preoperative evaluation of bone quality for dental implantation, by clarifying the relationship between cortical bone speed of sound (cSOS), insertion torque values (ITV), and implant stability quotient (ISQ) in porcine femur bone. Eleven fresh porcine femurs, without soft tissue, were prepared. The cSOS of these bones were measured using the axial transmission device. Bone mineral density (BMD) and porosity (Po) were measured in cortical bone samples obtained from the region of ultrasound measurements by X‐ray microcomputed tomography. Thirty‐three implants were inserted into these samples (three implants per bone sample), and ITV and ISQ were measured for all implants. Then, cortical bone thickness (CbTh) of the area for implantation was measured for all implants using a micrometer. The mean cSOS was 3962 m/s; mean BMD and Po were 0.822 g/cm2 and 0.185%, respectively. cSOS and BMD values were positively correlated, and cSOS values and Po values were negatively correlated. Mean ITV, ISQ, and CbTh were 37.95 Ncm, 71.172, and 2.869 mm, respectively. There was a positive correlation between cSOS values and ISQ values. The cSOS of each bone did not correlate with ITV for all of the bone samples. However, when the CbTh ranges from 3.0 to 3.5 mm, ITV are correlated with cSOS. These findings suggest that cSOS, which reflects the cortical bone quality, may be clinical utility as a preoperative diagnosis of the implant.