地域共生社会に果たす歯科麻酔科医の役割

抄録

  Considerable progress in community-based integrated care systems based on the principle of “supporting people so that they may live according to their own values in their local communities” has been made. At present, these systems target not only the elderly, disabled people, and children, but also individuals who have difficulty living within their community. However, very few studies have demonstrated how the range of support could be expanded through cooperation amongst various professionals or the role of dentistry in such systems.

  Several studies have implied that the role of dentistry is limited to oral health. However, dentists could play not only oral health but also other roles in integrated care systems. Dentists are skilled at detecting oral abnormalities, which can be helpful for detecting cases of child abuse and other problem cases. Physicians are necessarily regarded as key figures in multidisciplinary collaborations. However, dentists are similar to physicians in their medical capacity and can also act as intermediaries between medical and welfare professionals. Importantly, among dentists who can serve as a bridge between physicians and other professionals, dental anesthesiologist may contribute the most.

  Over the last few years, the authors have actively promoted the inclusion of dentists in integrated care systems. In their daily practice, dental anesthesiologists manage many different professionals to form an organic team and act behind the scenes to achieve the team’s healthcare goals. These tasks enable dental anesthesiologists to maximize their abilities as coordinators of multidisciplinary collaborations.

  In this article, these characteristics of dental anesthesiologists are first reaffirmed. Thereafter, the means by which dental anesthesiologists can use their special skills to fulfill their ideal role as dentists in integrated care systems will be discussed.