Older adults often experience poor oral functions, hindering rehabilitation post-acute disease treatment. However, characteristics of hospitalized patients who would benefit from professional oral-health management (POHM) have not been clarified. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate systemic and oral characteristics of patients requiring POHM during hospitalization in a convalescent hospital. This study included 312 participants admitted to the rehabilitation department of a convalescent hospital for a year. The patients were categorized according to POHM requirements (no-POHM group: 137 patients; POHM group: 175 patients) by discharge. Age, sex, primary disease at admission, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), Mini nutritional assessment-short form (MNA-SF), Functional oral intake scale (FOIS), number of present and functional teeth, Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) scores, and POHM details provided during patient hospitalization were compared. Binomial logistic-regression analysis identified patients requiring POHM as those who had suffered a stroke and had a low number of present teeth, poor overall oral health, low food form, and low motor skills at admission. A high percentage of POHM interventions comprised oral-hygiene care and denture treatment. In summary, patients whose oral health has deteriorated and those experiencing oral-intake difficulties upon admission to a convalescent hospital may require oral-health management.

Background/Objectives: Many older adults who require long-term care need oral health management. However, access to dental care is limited, and connecting older patients with dental professionals is a future challenge. Therefore, the development of a remote oral health assessment system is required. This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of video-based oral health assessments in older adults residing in facilities. Methods: This study comprised 60 older adults residing in facilities who consented to dental home visit treatment by the Department of Oral Function Management at Showa University Dental Hospital between July 2021 and December 2022. The Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) was used to evaluate the oral health status at the facilities by one dentist. The concordance of the oral health assessments conducted by this dentist at the facilities (OHAT-B) was compared with those conducted by the same dentist (OHAT-V1) and two other dentists (OHAT-V2 and V3) using approximately 1 min video recordings of the oral cavity taken with a mobile electronic device. Results: On the OHAT total score, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC [1.1]) for OHAT-B and V1 was 0.931; the ICC (2.1) was 0.889 when compared with V2 and 0.788 when compared with V3. Moreover, the comparison between V2 and V3 showed high agreement, with an ICC (2.1) of 0.750. Conclusions: This study revealed that the oral health assessment of older adults residing in facilities using video recordings of the oral cavity taken with a mobile electronic device may be possible, suggesting the possibility of remote oral health assessment.

Many older patients admitted to convalescent hospitals present with impaired oral function, which is an important function of daily life. This study aimed to investigate the actual status of the oral healthcare needs of inpatients in a convalescent hospital and to clarify the relationship between the level of independence at admission and the oral function. The participants were 147 patients (94 males, 53 females, mean age: 74.6 ± 13.1 years) who received dental visits during their stay at a convalescent hospital. Information regarding general and oral health was extracted from medical records. Most patients were found to have low Functional Independence Measure motor scores, and approximately 70% had some form of oral intake, but approximately 80% had nutritional problems. The mean number of present and functional teeth were 16.6 and 20.8, respectively, and 65% of patients lost molar occlusal support. Multiple regression analysis showed significant positive correlations of high functional independence measure with age, eating status, nutritional status, and the number of functional teeth. This implied that oral health management is important for patients in a convalescent hospital and that enhancing oral health may be related to improved eating textures and better nutritional status.

Plate dentures cannot be easily modified after fabrication; therefore, the sites and magnitude of relief must be effectively assessed at the time of fabrication. However, a considerable variation exists in the magnitude of optimal relief and relief range, and there are no guidelines that present these clearly, leading the dentists to decide subjectively. Thus, this study aims to develop an optimal relief method to improve the stress bearing capacity of the palatal mucosa. The objective of this study, namely, the borderline, was set in steps. A three-dimensional finite element model for the pseudopalatal plate was created and used to evaluate the changes in stress distribution in the palatal mucosa due to the selective relief of stresses above the borderline. The resulting data were used to develop the optimal relief method. In the relief model with a borderline of 0.04 MPa or higher, the distribution volume at which a high stress of 0.20 MPa or higher is generated was approximately 800% of that with the no-relief model, and in the relief model with a borderline of 0.06 MPa or higher, the respective ratio was approximately 280%. On the other hand, the relief models with a borderline of 0.14 MPa or higher were approximately 60%. In the mid-palatal relief model, the distribution volume at which a stress of 0.20 MPa or higher was generated was 180% of that in the relief model. The supportive strength of plates can be increased by selectively applying optimal relief rather than standard relief, allowing for easier and more effective plate-denture treatment.

Background/Objectives: Previous studies on the digitization of complete dentures with intraoral scanners (IOSs) have reported inconsistent effects of scan path, and whether these effects depend on operator experience remains unclear. This exploratory in vitro study investigated the effects of scan path and operator IOS experience on the trueness of extraoral scanning of complete dentures. Methods: One maxillary and one mandibular complete denture were scanned with a TRIOS 5 IOS using four scan paths: TRIOS denture, TRIOS dentate, rolling, and BOPLM (buccal–occlusal–palatal/lingual–mucosal) methods. Two experienced and two novice dentists repeated each scan path 10 times per arch. Root mean square (RMS) values relative to reference data obtained with a noncontact three-dimensional scanner (FLARE Pro 16M) were analyzed using linear mixed models with operator as a random effect. Results: In the maxilla, the experience group × scan path interaction was significant (p = 0.034): among novice operators, the rolling method yielded smaller RMS values than the BOPLM method (mean difference = −0.0170 mm, p = 0.001), whereas scan paths did not differ among experienced operators (p = 0.114). No significant effects were found in the mandible. Scanning time did not differ among scan paths. Conclusions: Among novice operators, the rolling method showed higher trueness than the BOPLM method for maxillary dentures. The effect of scan path may depend on operator experience; however, this exploratory finding requires confirmation with a larger number of operators.

Background: A maxillary-palate-shaped device for simultaneous measurement of bite force and palatal mucosal subsidence at the time of pain onset in dentate persons has been developed. However, palatal mucosal stress analysis in a simulation based on three-dimensional finite element analysis is effective for objective and efficient evaluation of various types of denture-supporting mucosa. Recently plate dentures are not easily modified after the completion of these dentures , so it is essential to effectively assess the sites and magnitude of relief at the time of preparation. However, there is considerable variation in the magnitude of optimal relief and relief range, and there are no guidelines that present these clearly, leading the surgeon to decide subjectively. Thus, this study aimed to develop an optimal relief method to improve the stress bearing capacity of the palatal mucosa.Objectives: The objective of this study, the borderline was set in steps. The changes in stress distribution in the palatal mucosa due to the selective relief of stresses above the borderline were evaluated using a three-dimensional finite element simulation. The purpose of this study was to develop an optimal relief method to improve the bearing capacity of the palatal mucosa.Methods: The objective of this study, the borderline, was set in steps. A three-dimensional finite element model for the pseudopalatal plate was prepared and used to evaluate the changes in stress distribution in the palatal mucosa due to the selective relief of stresses above the borderline. The resulting data were used to develop the optimal relief method.Results: In the relief model with a borderline of 0.04 MPa or higher, the distribution volume at which high stress of 0.20 MPa or higher is generated was approximately about 800%％ of that with the no-relief model, and in the relief model with a borderline of 0.06 MPa or higher, the respective ratio was approximately about 280％%. On the other hand, the relief models with borderline of 0.14 MPa or higher were about 60%. In the mid-palatal relief model, the distribution volume at which stress of 0.20 MPa or higher was generated was 180% of that in the relief model.Conclusions: The supportive strength of plates can be increased by selectively applying optimal relief rather than standard relief, allowing for easier and more effective plate-denture treatment.