2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Elucidation of the relationship of indefinite complaint and malocclusion

Research Project

Project/Area Number	24792119
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Prosthetic dentistry
Research Institution	Kanagawa Dental College
Principal Investigator	YAMADA Kentaro 神奈川歯科大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 研究員 (10550816)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	YAMAMOTO Toshiharu 神奈川歯科大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (50111901)
Project Period (FY)	2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
Keywords	咬合不全 / 不定愁訴 / ストレス
Research Abstract	Clinically, malocclusion is believed to cause indefinite complaints such as anxiety and depression; there is an urgent need to elucidate the neuroscientific basis of emotional and behavioral changes caused by changes in dental occlusion. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the impacts of malocclusion on the higher functions of the brain, such as emotions and memory, from biochemical, behavioral, physiological, and morphological perspectives, and with a focus on the opioid nervous system, which is the largest defense mechanism in living organisms and is involved in emotional responses to stress. By doing so, we advocate the importance of having good dental occlusion to the general population from the perspective of health sciences and preventive medicine.