Oral health care for patients in acute, recovery, and maintenance stage focusing on the relationship between dentures and swallowing.

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K11740
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Prosthodontics/ Dental materials science and
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Furuya Junichi 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 教授 (10419715)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 嚥下 / 義歯 / 高齢者 / 食支援 / 口腔ケア / 急性期 / 慢性期

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Older people tend to be dependent due to systemic disease, and their oral function for feeding and swallowing are prone to decline. However, the detail of denta needs and intervention for them are still unknown.
In the present research, oral function focusing on dentures and swallowing of older people was surveyed in acute, recovery, and chronic setting. This research revealed that the most important dental care were different in setting as follows; dysphagia rehabilitation in acute setting, and denture care in recovery and chronic setting. In addition, there were many cases that dentists could not provide dental care for older people due to time issues, lack of dental needs, and so on.

Free Research Field

高齢者歯科学、摂食嚥下リハビリテーション学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢者は、脳卒中などの病気や転倒などによって入院することも多く、その結果、長期の療養生活が必要となり、経口摂取や口腔機能に問題が生じやすい。本研究の成果によって、急性期・回復期・維持期というライフステージごとに、必要となる歯科治療、優先度、実施困難な歯科治療とその理由等が明らかになった。その結果、効率的かつ効果的な歯科治療を高齢者に提供できる可能性が示唆され、また、今後の高齢者歯科の課題が明示された。