Abstract
This study evaluates a multidisciplinary oral health initiative at a Fukuoka City nursing home designed to prevent aspiration pneumonia through individualized, risk-based care. Central to the program was a dental liaison conference, where facility staff and external dental professionals conducted monthly reviews of resident status across four domains: ① general health, ② oral status, ③ dietary intake, and ④ oral care practices. Through iterative feedback and tailored interventions addressing both hygiene and swallowing function, the initiative achieved a marked reduction in pneumonia cases and unintentional weight loss over a two-year period. Notably, the program yielded significant operational benefits, including a progressive decline in hospital admissions and facility vacancy rates. By the second year, vacancy rates dropped to 75.5% (Q2), 66.2% (Q3), and 33.3% (Q4) of the 2019–2022 average. These results demonstrate that interdisciplinary oral health management improves both resident clinical outcomes and the institutional stability of long-term care facilities.
