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Background More than 10 years have passed since the first nationwide study on the reasons for tooth extraction in Japan. In the present study, we conducted the second nationwide survey to update the previous data. Methods This was a descriptive study. A sample population consisting of 5,250 dentists was selected by systematic random sampling using the 2018 membership directory of the Japan Dental Association. The reason for each permanent tooth extraction was documented by each dentist during a period of 1 week from June 4 to June 10, 2018. A questionnaire was provided for documentation. Reasons for tooth extraction were categorised into 6 groups as follows: caries, periodontal disease, fracture, orthodontics, impacted teeth, and others. Results A total of 2345 identified dentists responded to the questionnaire (recovery rate: 44.8%). Information on 7809 extracted teeth from 6398 patients was obtained. Periodontal disease was the main reason for tooth extraction for both sexes (men: 40.4%, women: 34.9%). Caries accounted for 30.2% of tooth extractions among men and 29.0% among women. Periodontal disease was predominant in the groups older than 55 years of age. Dental fracture accounted for 16.8% of tooth extractions among men and 19.2% among women. Conclusions Caries and periodontal disease are still the main reasons for tooth extraction in Japan. Moreover, dentists should note that fractures accounted for approximately one-fifth of permanent tooth extractions after the age of 45 years.

This report describes a validation study of data in the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) obtained by nationwide surveys on tooth extractions. The following 3 data sources on tooth extractions in Japan were compared: (1) the Nationwide Survey of the Reasons for Permanent Tooth Extractions in Japan (a previous survey conducted by the present authors); (2) the Statistics on Medical Care Activities in Public Health Insurance; and (3) the 4th NDB Open Data Japan. Source 1 was a nationwide survey conducted in 2018; sources 2 and 3 comprised data that are freely available for use by the public. In Source 1, 2,345 of 5,250 dentists approached responded to the questionnaire (recovery rate: 44.8%). The number of extracted teeth among younger age groups (aged 25-50 years) reported in Source 1 was lower than that in the other two sources. In contrast, the number of extracted teeth among older age groups reported in Source 1 was higher than that reported in the other two sources. However, when stratified by age group, all differences across the 3 sources regarding the mean annual number of tooth extractions were

It has been reported that people who brush their teeth frequently might be more health-conscious and maintain healthier lifestyle habits. The relationship between obesity and oral health behavior in childhood is unknown, however. The aim of the present study was to fill this gap by investigating obesity and factors associated with oral health behavior in Japanese primary and junior high school students. A total of 475 primary school students (fifth-grade, age 10-11 years) and 408 junior high school students (first-grade, age 12-13 years) were included. All the participants underwent a regular health check-up and completed a self-reported questionnaire. The data thus obtained were subjected to multiple logistic regression analyses to identify the relationship between obesity and factors associated with oral health behavior. In primary school students, a dislike of physical activity was the only factor showing a significant association with obesity (p

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the body mass index (BMI) as obesity indicators and gingival inflammation as determined by bleeding on probing (BOP). The participants comprised employees of a milk products company based in Tokyo, Japan. A total of 159 non-diabetic men aged 40 to 59 yr and with a minimum of 28 teeth were included. Multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for age, smoking status, pocket depth, frequency of daily brushing, frequency of weekly interdental brushing, and regular dental attendance was performed to compare the relationships among the obesity indicators and BOP. Participants with good oral hygiene had significantly less BOP than those with poor oral hygiene (p

Guidelines for using toothpaste during tooth-brushing in public places during the coronavirus epidemic are lacking. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of using toothpaste in terms of droplet generation during brushing, the number of droplets generated, and their scatter range are unknown; therefore, we investigated the relationships between diluted toothpaste viscosity, the number of droplets generated, and the droplets’ flight distance. We developed a system to quantitate droplet generation during tooth-brushing. Brushing with water generated 5965 ± 266 droplets; 10.0× diluted toothpaste generated 538 ± 56, 4.00× diluted toothpaste generated 349 ± 15, and 2.00× diluted toothpaste generated 69 ± 27 droplets. Undiluted toothpaste generated no droplets. Droplet number tended to increase with increased toothpaste dilution ratio and decreased viscosity (r = −0.993). The maximum flight distances were 429 ± 11, 445 ± 65, 316 ± 38, and 231 ± 21 mm for water, 10.0×, 4.00×, and 2.00× diluted toothpaste, respectively. The maximum flight distance and toothpaste viscosity correlated negatively (r = −0.999). Thus, the less diluted the toothpaste, the fewer the droplets generated during brushing, and the shorter their flight distance. The use of an appropriate amount of toothpaste is recommended to prevent droplet infection during tooth-brushing.

The relationship between public health expenditure and number of teeth was investigated in patients with diabetes mellitus using data obtained from the Japanese National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups. Data on medical, dental, and pharmacy claims generated between April 2015 and March 2016 were analyzed in patients with diabetes mellitus aged 50-74 years who used outpatient services during this period. Patients initiating medical and pharmacy claims related to diabetes mellitus were defined as having diabetes mellitus. Number of teeth was defined as number of teeth in conjunction with periodontitis due to the nature of the data source. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the association between number of teeth and public health expenditure. Data on a total of 1,017,758 patients with diabetes mellitus were analyzed. Patients with the fewest teeth incurred higher medical expenses. The largest mean difference in medical expenditure was observed between patients with 5-9 teeth and those with over 28 teeth. The results of this study suggest that public health expenditure on patients with diabetes mellitus differs based on number of teeth.

The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of healthy elderly individuals undergoing regular dental check-ups and identify any environmental or associated oral factors. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used to interview 216 individuals attending 2 welfare facilities for the elderly, of whom 160 were included in the final analysis. Items comprised age, sex, number of residual teeth, frequency of teeth/denture cleaning, subjective chewing ability, denture use, oral status, regular dental check-ups, visitation of the same dentist, number of dental visits in the past year, General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) (Japanese version) score, living situation, and use of routine medication. Individuals undergoing regular dental check-ups were defined as those with a primary dentist whom they saw for dental check-ups at least once a year. The rate of individuals undergoing regular dental check-ups was 75.0% in men aged 60-74 years, 58.8% in women aged 60-74 years, 70.0% in men aged 75 years or over, and 45.3% in women aged 75 years or over. Logistic regression analysis revealed a higher number of residual teeth (odds ratio [OR]=2.664 in comparison with those with fewer than 20 teeth, p=0.0427); cleaning teeth/dentures 3 or more times per day (OR=2.546 in comparison with cleaning them twice per day or less, p=0.0157); and a higher GOHAI score (OR=2.742 in comparison with those with a GOHAI score of less than 58, p=0.0263) as factors significantly correlated with undergoing regular dental check-ups. In conclusion, the results revealed that individuals undergoing regular dental check-ups had 20 or more residual teeth, cleaned their teeth/denture 3 or more times per day, and had a higher GOHAI score. This indicates that the best predictive factor for undergoing regular dental check-ups in healthy elderly individuals is their GOHAI score.

Diabetes mellitus is closely related to oral health. We aimed to determine the relationship between diabetes mellitus and tooth extraction due to periodontal disease and dental caries. Japan’s second nationwide survey data collected from 4 June to 10 June 2018 was used to identify reasons for tooth extraction among patients aged &gt, 40 years. General dentists collected information on patients who underwent tooth extraction procedures, and the presence of diabetes mellitus was determined through interviews. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to investigate the relationship between diabetes mellitus and the reasons for tooth extraction, including periodontal disease and dental caries. In total, 2345 dentists responded to the survey (response rate 44.8%). We analyzed data on 4625 extracted teeth from 3750 patients (1815 males and 1935 females). Among patients with self-reported diabetes mellitus, 55.4% had extractions due to periodontal disease compared to 46.7% of such extractions among those without self-reported diabetes mellitus. Self-reported diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with tooth extraction due to periodontal disease. No significant differences were observed in dental caries according to self-reported diabetes mellitus status. This study provides further evidence of a significant association between diabetes mellitus and tooth extraction due to periodontal disease.

Objective: Continuous or frequent overtime work has been shown to have harmful effects on human health. Meanwhile, one of the main reasons for tooth loss is caries. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between overtime work and untreated decayed teeth in male financial workers. Methods: The participants were recruited by applying screening procedures to a pool of Japanese registrants in an online database. Participants filled out a questionnaire about their oral health, behavior, and working conditions. Participants comprised a total of 951 financial male workers, aged 25-64 years. Results: The likelihood of tooth decay increased with amount of overtime work (p=0.002). After adjusting for age, income, educational background, oral hygiene behavior, snacking behavior, regular dental visitation, bad interpersonal relationships at work, and smoking habit, a multiple logistic regression analysis found that participants with 45-80 h of overtime work (odds ratio [OR], 2.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-5.33) or over 80 h of overtime work (OR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.13-7.97) were more likely to have untreated tooth decay. The percentage of participants who gave "too busy with work" as the reason for leaving decayed teeth untreated increased with amount of overtime (p

The aim of this study was to identify factors in the working environment associated with regular dental attendance. Thirty-three general practitioners provided data on 488 patients who underwent dental maintenance between 2003 and 2015. The age of the patients ranged from 40 to 65 years. Appointment adherence, employment format, overtime work, night work, and subjective evaluation of work were investigated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with regular dental attendance. Among all participants, 296 (60.7%) were female, 320 (65.6%) worked full-time, 193 (39.5%) worked overtime, and 34 (7.0%) worked nights. The results of the analysis revealed that only night work was a significant factor after adjusting for sex, age, and employment format (odds ratio, 0.220; 95% confidence interval, 0.088-0.550). The results of this study suggest that night work disturbs regular dental attendance.

Background Although diabetes mellitus is reported to be related to tooth loss, there is limited population-based evidence for this relationship. We investigated the actual situation of tooth loss by performing a population-based survey using information obtained from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups (NDB) in Japan. Methods Medical, dental and pharmacy claims data generated between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016 were obtained and analysed. Patients with medical and pharmacy claims of diabetes mellitus were allocated to the diabetes mellitus group. Patients with medical claims of acute upper respiratory inflammation, but without claims of diabetes mellitus, were allocated to the control group. The number of claims involving tooth loss, treatment of periodontal disease and visits to medical and dental institutions were obtained from the NDB. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the nature of tooth loss between patients with diabetes mellitus and the control groups. Results There were 5,248,405 patients in the control group and 1,570,082 patients in the diabetes mellitus group. Patients in the diabetes mellitus group showed a higher level of tooth loss than patients in the control group, among both sexes. Patients with diabetes mellitus tended to lose their posterior teeth at an earlier age than patients in the control group. Moreover, patients in the diabetes mellitus group showed greater tooth loss, regardless of whether or not periodontal disease was treated. Conclusion Patients with diabetes mellitus show a higher level of tooth loss than those without diabetes mellitus, based on the results of a population-based survey.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with untreated decayed teeth (DT) in male sales workers. The participants were recruited by screening a pool of Japanese registrants in an online database for eligibility for inclusion in the study. Between 20 February 2015 and 11 March 2015, those deemed eligible were asked to complete a questionnaire on the status of their oral health. Responses from a total of 142 male sales workers aged between 30 and 49 years were analyzed. Of these, 40 reported DT and 102 no untreated decayed teeth (NDT). The percentage of participants with DT was higher than that with NDT among night shift workers (p

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether there is an association between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level and the presence or absence of decayed teeth in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The patients and data on their age and sex, the presence or absence of dental claims, medical history of diabetes mellitus, and workplace dental examinations were obtained from a Japanese healthcare database available for epidemiological studies. The HbA1c levels were obtained from results of the Specific Health Checkups and Specific Health Guidance tests conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Data on a total of 1,897 patients were analyzed. Patients with poorly controlled diabetes (HbA1c≥6.5, n=779) had more decayed teeth than those in whom it was well controlled (HbA1c

Objective The aim was to assess subjective oral health symptoms and job stress, as measured by self-assessment of how demanding the job is, in male financial workers. Methods The participants were recruited by applying screening procedures to a pool of Japanese registrants in an online database. For the stress check, 7 items about how demanding the job is were selected from The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). Participants comprised a total of 950 financial male workers, ages 25 to 64. Results Participants who answered "I can't complete my work in the required time" had more decayed teeth (p=0.010). Participants who felt that their job is highly demanding (answered affirmatively to 6 or all 7 items) were more likely to report "often get food stuck between teeth" (p=0.030), "there are some foods I can't eat" (p=0.005), "bad breath" (p=0.032), and "jaw makes clicking sound" (p=0.032). The independent variable of total stress score of 24-28 was found to be correlated to at least three oral health symptoms (OR: 3.25; 95%CI: 1.66-6.35). Conclusion These results indicate that certain job stress factors are associated with certain oral health symptoms, and that oral health symptoms are likely predictors of job stress.

The purpose of this study based on a cross-sectional internet survey was to investigate the relationship between risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and self-assessed oral health status. The participants, who comprised individuals registered with an online research company, were required to complete a self-reported questionnaire. Those answering in the affirmative to both of the following two questions were placed in the OSA-risk group, while those answering in the negative were assigned to the control group: 'Have other people noticed pauses in your breathing while you are sleeping?' and 'Do you feel excessively sleepy during the daytime?'. A total of 493 were included in the OSA-risk group and 2,560 in the control group. Among the total 3,053 respondents, the highest prevalence for OSA risk in men was in the 50-59-year age range, although this tended to level off after age 60 years. No such trend was observed in women, however. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the relationship between risk of OSA and self-assessed oral health status. Significant correlations were observed with the following parameters: difficulty in opening mouth (odds ratio [OR]: 2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.647-4.311), dry mouth (OR: 2.11; CI: 1.544-2.876), bad breath (OR: 1.69; CI: 1.309-2.186), gingival bleeding (OR: 1.48; CI: 1.134-1.932), and gingival swelling (OR: 1.44; CI: 1.046-1.981). These results suggest a relationship between risk of OSA and self-assessed oral health status, indicating that treating OSA might improve oral health status. Further study is needed to demonstrate a causal relationship between OSA and self-assessed oral health status, however.

Objectives To investigate factors associated with the development of root caries in dentition without root caries experience and interactive relationships between risk factors. Methods We conducted surveys, consisting of an oral examination (oral hygiene, assessment of the number of teeth, coronal and root caries) and a self-reported questionnaire, among employees of a company in Tokyo, Japan in 2016 and 2018. Questionnaires collected data on smoking status, oral hygiene habits, sugar intake, and frequency of dental visits. Multiple logistic regression and decision tree analyses were used to determine factors associated with the development of root caries. Results A total of 299 participants aged 25–63 years were included in the analysis. Males, older adults, smokers/past smokers had a significantly greater risk of developing root caries. The risk of developing root caries was significantly associated with the number of teeth with gingival recession at baseline (6–9 teeth, odds ratio [OR]: 7.69, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 2.31–25.56; 10+ teeth, OR: 9.19, 95 % CI: 2.73–30.95, relative to ≤5 teeth); and with the number of coronal decayed and filled (DF) teeth (11–13 teeth, OR: 3.21, 95 % CI: 1.12–9.24; and ≥14 teeth, OR: 3.60, 95 % CI: 1.27–10.20, relative to ≤10 teeth). Other factors associated with root caries development differed according to the number of teeth with gingival recession and included drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, and the amount of toothpaste used. Conclusions Gingival recession and number of coronal DF teeth were associated with the development of root caries. Clinical significance Multiple factors are associated with root caries development. The effect of risk factors such as drinking sweetened beverages and less toothpaste use is greater in individuals with greater gingival recession and more coronal decayed and filled teeth. Dental practitioners should focus on modifiable risk factors to prevent root caries.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether number of non-vital teeth was an indicator of tooth loss during maintenance. Thirty-three general practitioners provided data on 321 patients undergoing maintenance over 10 years. The number of present teeth (PT), smoking status, level of bone loss, number of non-vital teeth, and reason for tooth loss during that period were investigated. Multiple logistic regression was performed to identify whether the number of non-vital teeth was associated with tooth loss. The average number of lost teeth was 1.07±1.82; that of PT at baseline was 24.4±3.9; and that of non-vital teeth at baseline was 5.4±4.5. Multiple logistic regression revealed a significant association between >8 non-vital teeth and tooth loss during maintenance (odds ratio [OR]: 2.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18-4.87). It also demonstrated relationships between >8 non-vital teeth and root fracture or caries (OR: 3.90; 95%CI: 1.68-9.03 or OR: 2.85, 95%CI: 1.14-7.10, respectively). The number of non-vital teeth was associated with tooth loss during maintenance. The results suggest that patients with many non-vital teeth before commencement of maintenance are particularly at risk of tooth loss due to root fracture or caries. Therefore, the number of non-vital teeth offers a useful indicator of potential tooth loss.

Detecting the bio-potential changes of plants would be useful for monitoring their growth and health in the field. A sensitive plant monitoring system with flexible boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes prepared from BDD powder and resin (Nafion or Vylon-KE1830) was investigated. The properties of the electrodes were compared with those of small BDD plate-type electrodes by monitoring the bioelectric potentials of potted Aloe and hybrid species in the genus Opuntia. While flexible BDD electrodes have wide potential windows, their cyclic voltammograms are different from those of the BDD plate. Further, the potential gap between a pair of electrodes attached to the plants changes as the plants are stimulated artificially with a finger touch, suggesting that the bioelectric potentials in the plant also changed, manifesting as changes in the potential gap between the electrodes. The BDD electrodes were assessed for their response reproducibility to a finger stimulus for 30 days. It was concluded that the plant monitoring system worked well with flexible BDD electrodes. Further, the electrodes were stable, and as reliable as the BDD plate electrodes in this study. Thus, a flexible and inexpensive BDD electrode system was successfully fabricated for monitoring the bioelectric potential changes in plants.

This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine tooth loss and associated factors among professional drivers and white-collar workers. The participants were recruited by applying screening procedures to a pool of Japanese registrants in an online database. The participants were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 592 professional drivers and 328 white-collar workers (male, aged 30 to 69 years) were analyzed. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify differences between professional drivers and white-collar workers. The results showed that professional drivers had fewer teeth than white-collar workers (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.150-2.625). Moreover, a second multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors were associated with the number of teeth among professional drivers: diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.388-5.173), duration of brushing teeth (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.066-2.572), frequency of eating breakfast (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.416-3.513), frequency of eating out (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.086-2.671) and smoking status (OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.388-5.964). These findings suggest that the lifestyles of professional drivers could be related to not only their general health status, but also tooth loss.

Background: It has been reported that some factors associated with regular dental attendance. Meanwhile, few reports have discussed a relationship between work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour. Aim: To identify factors associated with regular dental attendance among white-collar workers. Method: This cross-sectional internet-based survey was conducted to identify factors associated with regular dental attendance among white-collar workers. The participants were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 834 daytime-only workers and 109 night-shift workers aged 30 to 69 years were analysed. Result: Work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour were included in the analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the relationship between these factors and regular dental attendance. As a result, significant differences were observed with the following parameters after adjusting for possible confounding factors: duration of eating breakfast (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.285–2.297), brushing before bed time (AOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.302–2.263), duration of brushing teeth (AOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.188–2.046), shift work (AOR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.067–2.261)a€€and My job is worth doing (AOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.129–1.993). Conclusion: These results indicate that work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour are associated with regular dental attendance. In particular, shift work and work stress was associated with regular dental attendance with regard to work environment. Therefore, health care providers might be able to promote dental attendance by informing workers that the work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour might be associated with regular dental attendance.

We have developed a system for the visualization of environmental pollutant concentration. This system provides a Raspberry P i based sensing platform for measuring an environmental pollutant. It c an be connected with a set of sensors that can measure environmental pollutant. A measured value is displayed graphically and numerically on the Web. We verified the feasibility of our system by measuring the environmental pollutant among one month.

Introduction: Bruxism has long been suspected as a cause of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). However, the validity of conventional guidelines and treatment has been discussed since sometime. The association between bruxism and TMDs has recently been questioned, as self-assessments of bruxism are somewhat unreliable, and bruxism appears to have no adverse effects based on histological and physiological findings. The hypothesis: We hypothesize that involuntary mouth opening may play a role in the development of TMDs. Evaluation of the Hypothesis: Recently, some clinical and basic reports have indicated that involuntary mouth opening might be associated with TMDs.