Abstract
At the Nihon University School of Dentistry Dental Hospital, we cooperate with various
occupational specialists before performing operations to improve the quality of life of patients who undergo resection and reconstruction of the head and neck. We therefore attend a cancer board meeting every week in our hospital. The Nihon University School of Dentistry Dental Hospital is a hospital specialized in dentistry, and so most of the board members are dentists, along with co-dental staff. Our multi-occupation collaborative team medicine includes experts on oral function. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform tumor resection and reconstruction, maxillofacial prosthodontists prepare maxillofacial prostheses including immediate surgical obturators （ISO）, dentists perform oral rehabilitation, dental hygienists perform oral care, and nurses perform general care. These specialists share the tasks from their respective positions, cooperate with each other, complement each other, and have prepared a system for responding appropriately to the patient’s situation. Each department intervenes from the first visit to hospitalization, during hospitalization, and after discharge in an effort to improve the patient’s quality of life. This study reports the details of the multi-occupational team approach we are using in our hospital.
