Abstract
Mt. Usu in Japan erupted on March 31, 2000, and more than 5,000 people living near the volcano were safely evacuated to shelters. Although some private hospitals promptly set up clinics in the larger shelters, no dental services were initially made available for the residents of the shelters. The Hokkaido Government therefore requested that teams of dentists and dental assistants be organized by the dental schools of two universities in Hokkaido and the Hokkaido Dental Association for dispatch to the shelters. Most of the cases involved first-aid treatment (including alleviation of toothache, denture adjustment, temporary filling of decayed teeth, and cementation of detached metal restoration) or dental health consultation (including dental checkup, oral hygiene instruction and advice for dental anxiety). There is therefore a necessity to include dental services in items of health care as part of a crisis management system for evacuees in the event of a natural disaster.
