Preference-based measures (PBMs) that provide utility scores for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) play a crucial role in optimizing healthcare resource allocation. This study aimed to review previous findings on the association between oral health and general HRQoL and identify areas where evidence is lacking, particularly based on evaluations using PBMs. A total of fifty-nine articles were selected through literature searches. Studies that used general HRQoL instruments as outcome variables were selected and categorized into profile types and PBMs. The explanatory variables for oral health were grouped into: oral health status, dental care, and oral health behavior. Forty-two articles that focused on the oral health status were selected, and PBMs were used to evaluate a wide range of such statuses: 7 systematic reviews (SRs; PBMs: 3); 35 observational studies (PBMs: 16). However, in Japan, reported utility scores were limited to tooth loss and decline in oral function. Twenty articles on dental care were selected: three SRs (PBMs: 0), seven observational studies (PBMs: 3), and ten intervention studies (PBMs: 1). In Japan, the effect of dentures and dental implants on utility scores has been documented. Three articles on oral health behaviors were selected, but these were not evaluated using PBMs. The results indicate that although the oral health status was often evaluated using PBMs, dental care interventions and oral health behaviors were insufficiently assessed using them. The paucity of Japanese literature reporting PBM-based utility scores highlights the necessity of conducting further rigorous evaluations in these domains.

  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between periodontal condition during pregnancy and early childhood caries at 3 years old.

  The participants enrolled in this study were 259 children who received oral health examinations at both the 18-month and 3-year-old health check-ups, and their mothers who received a free dental health check-up for pregnant women in N city, Tokushima Prefecture between fiscal years 2013 and 2015. Data from dental health check-ups during pregnancy, at the 18-month and 3-year health examinations for their children, and questionnaire results were used to analyze factors associated with the presence of dental caries at 3 years old. Additionally, A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted with the presence of “3-year-old dental caries” as the dependent variable.

  At the 3-year-old health examination, 27 children (10.4%) had dental caries, and 12 of them had multiple caries (4 or more teeth). Associations were found between the presence of “6 mm or more periodontal pockets” during pregnancy and the presence of dental caries (odds ratio=5.33, p<0.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.52–18.76) and multiple caries (odds ratio=7.20, p<0.05, 95% confidence interval: 1.44–35.91) in the 3-year-old children.

  These findings suggest that children born to women with periodontal pockets of 6 mm or more during pregnancy may be at high risk for early childhood dental caries at 3 years old.

  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of a self-check for periodontal disease including a self-assessment of the participant’s own periodontal tissue.

  The subjects were 3,702 adults who participated in a workplace dental check-up. They completed a questionnaire containing the following self-check items regarding periodontal disease: bleeding on tooth brushing, gingival swelling, smoking habits, use of dental floss or interdental brush, experience of tooth brushing instruction, and history of dental health check-ups. They also self-assessed their own periodontal tissue of the labial gingiva of mandibular anterior teeth using a hand mirror and reference images showing healthy gingiva, gingivitis, and periodontitis. A dentist examined the subjects and scored their periodontal tissue using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). The data of 3,099 subjects aged 20–65 years were included in the analysis. They were divided into those with periodontitis and non-periodontitis based on self-assessment of their own periodontal tissue; periodontitis was defined as a CPI score of ≥3, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the periodontal disease self-check were calculated.

  Regarding gingival bleeding and swelling in the self-check of periodontal disease, sensitivity and positive predictive values were higher in the periodontitis group with self-assessment of the participant’s own periodontal tissue than in the non-periodontitis group. The rate of agreement between self-assessed periodontitis and the corresponding CPI score was 2.8%.

  These results suggest that self-assessment of the participant’s own periodontal tissue may improve the accuracy of determining oral manifestations on self-assessing periodontal disease. It is necessary to consider the contents and methods of periodontal disease self-check, including self-assessment of the participant’s own periodontal tissue.

  This study involved a web-based survey of 896 dental hygiene students, yielding 639 valid responses, with all students having clinical practice experience. The objective was to investigate the effect of clinical practice stressors on professional identity and moderating role of resilience. Each stressor demonstrated a negative correlation with professional identity-related factors. Hierarchical multiple regression and simple slope analyses revealed that acquired resilience tended to buffer the adverse effects of “record keeping and time constraints” on “confidence in choosing a health profession.” It also moderated the negative effects of “difficulty in adapting to instructors and the practice environment” and “record keeping and time constraints” on “orientation toward contributing to society.” In addition, dispositional resilience tended to buffer the relationship between “awareness of lack of knowledge and skills” and “orientation toward contributing to society.” These findings suggest that students with high-level resilience are more likely to maintain professional identity despite encountering multiple stressors in clinical practice, and that educational support incorporating resilience development may facilitate the formation of professional identity.

  Under Article 66, Paragraph 3 of the Labour Safety and Health Act and Article 48 of the Labour Safety and Health Regulations, employers are required to conduct regular dental health examinations for workers engaged in hazardous work at the time of hiring or reassignment, and then at least once every 6 months thereafter. Thus, while the implementation of special health examinations by dentists is legally mandated, reporting on their actual implementation remains limited. Therefore, in this study, with the cooperation of industry associations, involving many small and medium-sized manufacturing companies, we conducted a questionnaire survey to investigate the status of implementing special health examinations conducted by dentists within workplaces. The survey period was from October 16 to November 22, 2024, and responses were accepted via Google Forms or fax. Responses were received from 44 of 170 workplaces (25.9%). The percentage of workplaces that answered “yes” to the question: “Do you conduct special health examinations involving dentists?” was 83.3% for workplaces with 50 or more employees, but only 28.0% for those with fewer than 50 employees. Among workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, the most common reasons for not conducting such examinations were “unclear where to request the service”, “already overwhelmed with other special health examinations”, and “difficulty securing time”. These results suggest that special health examinations conducted by dentists are not sufficiently widespread in small-scale workplaces. In particular, the high number of responses indicating “unclear where to request the service” suggests the need to establish an information-provision system targeting small-scale workplaces.