The objective of this investigation was to elucidate the relationship between the level of support required, based on Disability Support Level assessment, and oral health conditions, as well as the degree of cooperation in oral care among individuals with intellectual disabilities. The participants of this study were 101 individuals residing in a residential general support facility for people with intellectual disabilities in Niigata.

 The results revealed that there were no notable distinctions in the dental health condition including the number of remaining teeth, sound teeth, and decayed, missing, and filled teeth among individuals with various Disability Support Levels. However, a significant association was observed between the Disability Support Level and the degree of cooperation in oral care, with the degree of cooperation decreasing as the disability support category became higher. Identical results were also observed in the activities of daily living (ADL) assessment. More individuals with “support needed” in ADL self-sufficiency for the six items of getting up, standing up, putting on/taking off clothes, recognizing risks, bathing, and eating demonstrated a low degree of cooperation in oral care. In contrast, more individuals with “self-support” in ADL self-sufficiency for the five items of putting on/taking off clothes, recognizing risks, bathing, urinating, and eating demonstrated a high degree of cooperation.

 These results suggest that Disability Support Levels have a limited influence on the dental health condition of individuals with intellectual disabilities residing in a facility with routine dental interventions. Obtaining cooperation for maintaining oral health becomes increasingly challenging as support needs increase. Furthermore, the results of the ADL evaluation imply that assessing the degree of cooperation in oral care based on the general level of support needed may be enhanced by considering the level of independence in activities requiring intellectual ability, specifically the items related to personal care and daily living, as indicated in the certification survey for Disability Support Levels, for effective screening.

 The process of analyzing the effects of systemic symptoms on daily living will contribute to preventing systemic and oral disease. In this study, we used anonymized data from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions 2016 to analyze the associations between 42 symptoms and their effects on daily living.

 The subjects were 8,332 individuals (4,022 men and 4,310 women) aged 40–69 years who provided valid responses to questions related to various symptoms. The analysis was conducted by carrying out (1) univariate analysis of the association between each symptom and its effects on daily living using a contingency table; (2) comparisons between the response rate order of each symptom depending on whether it affected daily living (rank difference test), and (3) binomial logistic regression analysis (multivariate analysis) with effects on daily living (model 1) and subjective health (model 2) as the target variables.

 Univariate analysis identified associations for 16 systemic symptoms, including “difficulty in limb movement” (odds ratio: OR 4.17), and two oral symptoms, “difficulty chewing” (OR 1.95) and “swollen or bleeding gums” (OR 1.42). A comparison of the mean rank difference of the symptom response rates for symptoms that did or did not affect daily living found that this difference was significant (p<0.001). Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that three symptoms had significant ORs, including “fracture/sprain” (OR 3.17), “difficulty in limb movement” (OR 3.00) for both analysis models.

 These results suggest that some symptoms are likely to have effects on daily living, and that they warrant attention in health guidance for adults and older people.

 Early prevention of tooth loss is extremely important. The factors associated with tooth loss are diverse and may vary depending on the number of teeth present. We aimed to examine whether factors related to tooth loss over a 5-year period differ between adults with ≥ and <28 teeth. A total of 292 participants (193 men and 99 women) underwent the same health check-up, including internal medicine and oral examinations. Binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted using the loss of one or more teeth as the objective variable and factors related to tooth loss as explanatory variables. The incidences of tooth loss were 22.1 and 34.5% in patients with ≥ and <28 teeth, respectively. The risk of tooth loss among the participants with ≥28 teeth was significantly correlated with drinking habits (odds ratio [OR], 2.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37–5.77), and dental caries (OR, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.39–7.37). In contrast, the risk of tooth loss among the participants with <28 teeth was associated with a periodontal pocket depth ≥6 mm (OR, 20.38; 95% CI, 1.72–240.89). The preventive methods to be focused on vary depending on the number of teeth present. For individuals with ≥28 teeth, caries prevention is important, whereas for those with <28 teeth, prevention of periodontal disease becomes crucial.

Abstract in Japaneses