This study examined alexithymia using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Alexithymia Scale (MMPI-AS) in patients with various oral disorders.
The subjects consisted of 581 patients (134 males: mean age 42.7±19.5, 447 females: mean age 46.5±18.9), including 321 with physical disorders [temporomandibular disorders (TMD), recurrent aphtha (RA) and etc.], 19 with vague complaint-complicated physical disorders, 177 with a single vague complaint (oral paresthesias, glossodynias etc.) and 64 with vague multiple complaints.
The results were as follows:(1) patients with vague oral complaints scored significantly higher than patients with physical disorders.(2) Patients with glossodynia scored significantly higher than patients with oral paresthsia, TMD, or RA.(3) Female patients scored significantly higher than male patients.(4) Elderly patients scored significantly higher than younger or middle-aged patients, while the difference between the latter two groups was not significant.
It is considered that dentists should also understand alexithymia as patients with some oral disorders are alexithymic.

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This study investigated the influence of personality type on the difficulty of denture usage by the dependent elderly with dementia.
The participants were edentulous individuals (71 in total: 15 males and 56 females; average age, 85.0±5.9 years) resident in a health care facility for the elderly. They were subjected to a series of examinations regarding; a) their daily use of complete dentures; b) their degree of dementia by HDS-R test; and c) their personality types as judged by a third party observer. A version of the YGpsychological test as modified by the author was used for the personality type assessments.
In summary, the results were as follows:
1. The frequency of complete denture usage was 100 % among those participants who did not have dementia, and 62.3 % among those with dementia. This difference was statistically significant.
2. The HDS-R score of those who did not wear dentures was significantly lower (4.8) than that of those who did (14.2).
3. The percentage of participants with dementia categorized as possessing type A (average) personality was higher than that of the population without dementia, and their specific characteristics tended to be uncooperative-ness and emotional instability (Co: Territory 4).
4. It seemed that the participants who wore dentures daily were more interested in, and sensitive to, the condition of their dentures compared with those who did not wear their dentures on a daily basis. Conversely, participants who did not wear dentures daily appeared to be less active in their daily lives due to more advanced degrees of dementia, and were thus less interested in their dentures.

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Egograms are line graphs derived from the results of written questionnaires. They are used to indicate the psychological energy status of the ego. The ego, the driving force behind each individual, can readily be assessed on the basis of the egogram, enabling the subject to become more aware of his or her own ego, and thereby promoting self development. We perform this psychological test during clinical training from the latter half of year 5 to the first half of year 6 at dental school, using it to analyze the ego structure for purposes of comprehensive health care. In this study, we examined the results of egograms and explored new ways to use them for educational purposes. The study group comprised 179 students, for all of whom egograms were obtained. The students filled in the questionnaire after receiving basic explanations on interaction analysis and egograms. The resulting egogram pattern was explained to each subject, and their own behavior and execution patterns were commented on. The M type egogram was found to be most common, followed by the FC dominant type, inverse Nb type, and AC dominant type. Among the 29 possible patterns, 28 were found. The results showed that students receiving the same education are none the less characterized by all types of egogram patterns, indicating a basic difficulty of education. The use of egograms may be helpful in adapting education to the needs of individual students. Aside from discovering good or bad personality characteristics, or use in the diagnosis of disease, the egogram provides visual understandingof a subject's own behavior and execution patterns. We conclude that it is a valuable technique for use in understanding psychosomatic medicine.

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Lafutidine (FRG-8813) is a new H2-receptorantagonist that not only has a strong inhibitory effect on gastric secretion but also augments the gastric mucosa protection factor and dilate arterious, but not venules, in the gastric submucosa and enhances gastric mucosal blood flow via capusaicin-sensitive afferent neurons.
Presence in the tongue, too, suggests that lafutidine may also be effective for patients diagnosed with glossodynia. Lafutidine was administered in a dose of 10mg twice daily to 3 glossodynia patients, and reduced the tongue pain in all three.
The results confirmed the effectiveness, safety and utility of lafutidine in the treatment of glossodynia.

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The reactions of patients with schizophrenia to damage on a maxillary anterior tooth and subsequent treatment were studied clinically. The subjects were ten psychiatric inpatients (one male, nine females) of our institution. The average age was 34.9 years old.
The results were as follows:
1. All subjects exhibited some disturbance caused by damage to the maxillary anterior teeth. Six patients complained of esthetic, two of masticary and two of speech disturbance. One suffered from a sensation of tightness on the tooth.
2. Five patients distinctly demanded treatment of the tooth. The other five patients did not. The five who demanded treatment were all female, four of them younger than 30 years old.
3. The five patients who distinctly demanded treatment of the tooth also reacted positively toward the results of treatment. The five patients who had not requested treatment reacted negatively, despite the author's recommendation of treatment and the patients' informed consent.
4. The image of dental health in the minds of patients with schizophrenia appeared to differ from that found in the general population.

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