スポーツライフを向上させるための顎口腔機能の維持管理の『伝え方』

抄録

I have been involved in supporting everyone from top athletes to sports enthusiasts and students striving in athletic clubs through research and clinical practice as a sports dentist.

Through nurturing（orthodontic treatment）and maintaining ‘Masticatory ability’, I have aimed to promote safe sports activities and enhance athletic performance. When I graduated from university a quarter-century ago, the primary themes were “functional maintenance” and injury prevention/treatment using protective devices like ‘mouthguards’ or “mouthpieces.” Research, including elucidating the “remote muscle facilitation effect,” began highlighting the role of the cervical and maxillofacial regions connecting the head to the entire body. I revisited and explained the role of stomatognathic function in exerting muscle function and maintaining body balance, as well as the modulation of motor function and its underlying mechanisms. We have also begun to consider the benefits and drawbacks of “clenching one’s teeth on exertion motor function.”

In recent years, the dentition has been reevaluated as an organ for fixing measurement devices. The accuracy of injury severity assessment at the time of trauma is improving, and moreover the immediate diagnostic systems for concussion are also being developed. However, since these systems operate without direct involvement from dentists, we will also share information regarding areas requiring future improvement（on wearing oral appliances such as occlusal adjustment, reducing discomfort etc.）where your cooperation will be appreciated.

Regarding the maintenance of stomatognathic functions to enhance sports performance, this aimed to deliver reports from a dentist’s perspective on how to communicate effectively. This lecture covered the perspectives of nurture, maintenance, management, recovery, and enhancement, targeting not only athletes and enthusiasts but also coaches, healthcare professionals from other disciplines, and sports science specialists.