Taste alteration in dental implant treatment

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K10020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57040:Regenerative dentistry and dental engineering-related
• Research Institution: The Nippon Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Tsujimura Maiko (羽下麻衣子) 日本歯科大学, 新潟生命歯学部, 教授 (60535219)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中原 賢 日本歯科大学, 新潟生命歯学部, 教授 (20610257) ; 今井 あかね 日本歯科大学新潟短期大学, その他部局等, 教授 (60180080)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 歯科インプラント / 抜歯 / 味覚 / 有郭乳頭 / 味蕾

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Dental treatment possibly changes the tissues related to taste. Before the dental implant placement, teeth are often extracted; therefore, the information about taste alteration after tooth extraction is important for the prognosis of dental implant treatment. This study examined the alteration in taste buds after the tooth extraction. In male Wistar rats, the upper molars were extracted bilaterally (test group). Some rats were only anesthetized without the tooth extraction (control group). The small blocks of tongue containing circumvallate papillae were harvested from rats of both groups after the healing period, and assessed by means of biochemistry and histology. Many proteins including taste cell makers didn’t change dramatically after the extraction. On the other hand, we observed taste cells that have the characteristics of both Type II cells and Type III cells in rats without any surgeries, which suggested new subtypes of taste cells.

Free Research Field

口腔組織学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

味覚はおいしく食べるために必要な感覚であるため、味覚の変化はQOL（生活の質）に深く関わる。味覚を受容する味細胞の新たな特性を明らかにした本研究結果は、味覚に関する非常に重要な情報であり、味覚障害への新規のアプローチにつながる可能性がある。また、抜歯による味蕾の変化に関する情報は、インプラント治療などの歯科治療の予後向上の一助となるかもしれない。このように、味覚障害と歯科治療の予後という２つの観点から、本研究の学術的意義及び社会的意義は大きいといえる。