2020 Volume 69 Issue 4 Pages 348-356
The Saitama Dental Association has developed the following four programs to prevent non-communicable diseases in connection with community dental clinics.
1. We planned a cooperative seminar on the relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease. We have registered dental clinics that are cooperating with medical clinics in treating diabetes patients, and display them on the homepage of the Saitama Dental Association. We are also developing a system to enforce cooperation between medical and dental clinics in local communities.
2. We conducted a program for changing oral health behavior and lifestyles to be more appropriate, among the participants of the program for the diabetic nephropathy aggravation prevention. Roughly 100 participants were encouraged to visit a dental clinic to receive an oral examination.
3. Using the National Health Insurance database system, we selected patients who have not visited a dental clinic and are at risk of diabetic nephropathy, and recommended that they receive dental checkups (1,753 persons in 2019).
4. We provided specific health guidance at a community dental clinic, under a contract between the Saitama Dental Association and a representative insurer.
The Saitama Dental Association has promoted the concept that the community dental clinic can be utilized as a site for addressing non-communicable diseases. The important role of community dental clinics will be to contribute to the prevention of non-communicable diseases, while coordinating closely with the government, medical insurers, and health care organizations.
