Declines the population with a super-aging society and a low birthrate in Japan. Healthy life expectancy is approximately 10 years shorter than life expectancy, and shortening this difference will contribute to improving QOL and reducing medical costs. As we age, our physical and cognitive functions decline, making us susceptible to sarcopenia and frailty, however, muscle strength increases when you train, regardless of your age. The appropriate lifestyle habits (eating, exercise, and sleep) prevent frailty and maintain muscle mass and strength. Dentistry cares tailored to each life stage, such as instilling good chewing habits in childhood and correcting oral dysfunction and malocclusion, lifestyle-related disease prevention, correction, and appropriate prosthetics in adulthood, and prevention and maintenance of frailty and dementia in old age. Dental fields will contribute to a long and healthy life that preserves “deliciousness”.

This paper introduces the relationship between dysphagia rehabilitation and dental prosthetics in the context of home medical care. Rehabilitation aimed at improving daily functions is perceived as more effective when conducted in a “living environment” rather than a “medical environment.” Therefore, it is essential to align these efforts with the community-based integrated care system, starting from discharge support. Additionally, the introduction of the “Triad Approach of Rehabilitation, Nutrition, and Oral Care” in the fiscal year 2024 insurance revision marks a significant turning point in this field.

As a specific activity, this paper introduces the “Short-Term Intensive Dysphagia Rehabilitation” program. It also presents examples of practices where short-term intensive methods are used to evaluate and improve swallowing functions in the community.

Nutrition education is becoming increasingly important, and dental care for older adults needs to shift to a focus on maintaining and restoring oral function. Malnutrition is a common problem in healthcare and understanding nutrition is important for healthcare professionals. The lack of nutrition education for healthcare professionals is internationally recognized, and there is a need for more nutrition education in dentistry. Malnutrition is a problem of both undernutrition and overnutrition, and the coexistence of undernutrition & overnutrition in the older adult population is an emerging issue in Japan. Knowledge of the indicators and effects of malnutrition, nutrient interconversion and energy metabolism is important, and a balanced diet is necessary to achieve optimal nutrition. It is important to set nutritional intakes according to physical activity and target body weight.

This review summarizes the lectures given at the Japan Prosthodontic Society Kansai Branch Lifelong Learning Open Seminar held in January 2024.

Patient: A 74-year-old male visited our hospital with a chief complaint of difficulty chewing due to missing upper and lower molars. There was severe attrition on anterior lower teeth, and his occlusal vertical dimension was decreased. An occlusal appliance was put on the mandible to correct the occlusal vertical dimension and mandibular position. Finally, an overdenture with magnetic attachments at the maxilla and partial denture at the mandible were placed.

Discussion: Modification of the upper denture and the occlusal appliance installed for the lower jaw were effective for correcting the mandibular position and recovering occlusal support, leading to favorable treatment progress.

Conclusion: In this case, in which occlusal reconstruction was necessary, masticatory function was recovered by correcting the occlusal vertical dimension and mandibular position using an occlusal appliance.

Patient: A 79-year-old male underwent resection for right buccal mucosal carcinoma. After the surgery, he was unable to use dentures and complained of masticatory dysfunction. The patient had lost the oral vestibule and developed trismus due to scarring of the right buccal mucosa. Complete dentures were fabricated after evaluating the range of the unattached mucous membrane and determining the appropriate denture border.

Discussion: In this case, it was difficult to obtain a border seal by the denture due to the resection of buccal mucosal carcinoma. The denture was stabilized by setting the appropriate denture border considering the range of the unattached mucous membrane.

Conclusion: For an edentulous patient with trismus following buccal mucosal carcinoma resection, masticatory function was improved by fabricating complete dentures with a carefully determined denture border.