2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Exploring effective methods for reducing dental treatment loads during home visit dentistry.

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	19K10223
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 57050:Prosthodontics-related
Research Institution	Niigata University
Principal Investigator	Kon Haruka 新潟大学, 医歯学総合研究科, 非常勤研究員 (40447636)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	堀一浩新潟大学, 医歯学系, 准教授 (70379080) 林豊彦新潟大学, 自然科学系, フェロー (40126446) 早崎治明新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (60238095)
Project Period (FY)	2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
Keywords	訪問歯科診療 / 姿勢 / 身体的負担
Outline of Final Research Achievements	This study investigates the postures of both patients in wheelchairs and dentists while performing at-home dental treatment with the aim to detect effective conditions in which both participants feel less load. We set several conditions during simulated dental treatment home visits. Postures were recorded using an optical 3D motion analysis device. Patient backbend angles without a headrest were greater than with a headrest. Consequently, without the presence of a headrest, a patient’s head and neck muscles need to be constantly active. Therefore, patients’ head and neck muscle fatigue might be reduced by the use of headrests. Furthermore, while performing dental treatment for patients in wheelchairs, dentists’ forward bending angles of the trunk and upper arm elevation angles were greater in comparison to normal dental treatment conditions. Accordingly, for dentists, performing dental treatment on patients in wheelchairs is more difficult than in normal conditions.
Free Research Field	歯科補綴学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	近年、歯科医院に通院出来ない高齢者のための訪問歯科診療の割合は増加している。しかし、訪問歯科診療時には、リクライニングのない車椅子を用いることが多いため，患者も術者も長時間不自然な姿勢を強いられ、どのように負担を軽減するかは喫緊の課題となっている。本研究は動作解析の手法を用い、補助具（安頭台）やポジショニングの条件で姿勢を比較した。患者は安頭台の使用時に頭部後屈が少なく、術者は立位診療で体幹前屈角度や上腕の挙上角度が大きいことが示された。車椅子診療を行う際には、患者に安頭台を用いると負担軽減につながる可能性がある。