The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of teeth loss on emotional behavior. In this study, we performed a locomotor activity test and emotional behavior test using aged rats with extracted molar teeth and non-extracted aged rats as controls. The locomotor activity for 24 hrs of the teeth loss group was reduced significantly compared to the control group.The emotional behavior test showed emotional behavior changes in the molar teeth extracted group.These results show that teeth loss aged rats had an accessory symptom of senile dementia, and thus we conclude that long term teeth loss is one of the causal factors of dementia.

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A Survey was carried to study the ability to use dentures for elderly patients with medical conditions. The surveyed group consisted of 102 elderly 65yrolds in a special nursing home.
The results were as follows.
1. Of t he 102 elderly subjects, thirtyseven subjects had been using dentures. Fiftyfour subjects were not using dentures at the time of the survey although dentures might be considered necessary.
2. The significant items between group A (37 subjects) who were using dentures and group B (54 subjects) who were not using them were as follows: (1) ability of dressing/undressing,(2) ability to use the tolet,(3) feeding,(4) tooth brushing,(5) ability to move under one's own power,(6) existence of manual motor disturbance and extent of dementia.
3. The following items were considered insignificant: (1) eyesight,(2) the power of hearing,(3) number of missing teeth,(4) number of functional cusp,(5) DMFT index,(6) distribution of missing teeth and (7) age.
4. The seven items considered to be significant were taken as the explanatory variables and “use or nonuse of dentures” was taken as the external criterion. They were then analyzed according to the second class of Hayashi's quantifying theory.
5. The correlation ratio of the distinctive efficiency of the external criterion was 0.372. The rate of correct judgment was 76.9%. The most distinguishing characteristic was dressing ability, followed by the extent of dementia. Indications are that it is possible to determine to a certain extent whether the elderly with medical conditions can make use of dentures.

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The physical properties of 2 kinds of self-curing resins for duplicating dentures (FL, RE) were compared with self-curing relining resin (RR) and a heat-curing denture base resin (AC).
The bending strengths were: RE: 277.3±69.3Kg/cm², RR: 387.3±67.4Kg/cm², FL: 684.6 ±47.9Kg/cm² and AC: 593.1±33.77Kg/cm², respectively. The knoop hardness numbers were: RR: 11.2±0.5, RE: 11.8±1.3, FL: 14.1±0.5 and AC: 18.0±0.6, respectively. The fluidity of FL is the best, RE is next, and RR is the worst.
The quantities of water sorption were FL: 0.65±0.19mg/cm², RR: 0.63±0.11mg/cm² and RE: 0.47±0.12mg/cm², respectively. The rates of line shrinking were: FL 0.32±0.07%, RR: 0.32±0.04% and RE: 0.30±0.05%, respectively. Surface roughness (Ra) were: RR: 0.08±0.01μm, RE: 0.10±0.02, μm, FL: 0.11±0.01 μm and AC: 0.07±0.01μm, respectively. The results of detail reproducibility of FL is the best. From SEM observation of polished surface, heat curing resin a smooth suface. Numerous porosities were seen on the surface of RE, FL and RR.
From these results, there were no obvious differences in physical properties between self-curing resin for duplicating dentures and self-curing relining resins. However, self-curing resins for duplicating dentures were inferior in surface and physical properties compared with heat curing resins, so should not be used for long periods in the oral cavity.

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Purpose: Purulent inflammation can rapidly progress to severe conditions in elderly patients. Since extensive incision and drainage as a treatment for these conditions may cause intense pain and fear, general anesthesia is selected in some cases. The operation is performed under a general condition which rapidly deteriorates, and the depressed physical function with aging and complications including preoperatively existing systemic disease make intraoperative and postoperative management difficult. In this study, we examined problems concerning the intraoperative and postoperative management of elderly patients who were operated on under general anesthesia by incision and drainage.
Subject and Methods: The subjects were 5 male and female patients aged from 72 years to 91 years who were operated on under general anesthesia by incision and drainage between October, 1984 and December 1994. Based on anesthesia records and medical records, the underlying medical diseases as complications, anesthesia, and intraoperative and postoperative management were examined.
Results and Discussion: In all cases, underlying medical diseases and collagen diseases were observes as complications. Abnormal findings in preoperative clinical laboratory examinations were anemia, a decrease in TP, increases in BUN and creatinine levels, and hyperglycemia and abnormalities found on electrocardiograms. Long-term chronic administration of hypotensive drugs, oral hypoglycemic agents and adrenal steroid hormones was noted.
Emergency operations were performed in 2 of 5 cases. In all cases, patients were anesthetized by slow anesthetization which had little influence on the cardiovascular system. Concerning intratracheal intubation, subconscious intratracheal intubation was performed due to trismus caused by inflammation in 3 cases. In some cases, a decrease in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and cyanosis occurred due to endotoxin shock, and intratracheal intubation was immediately performed in the ward.
In other cases, administration of a low dose of sedative resulted in respiratory depression after entering the operating room, and intratracheal intubation was immediately performed.
Anesthesia was maintained by gas oxygen and a low concentration of volatile inhalation anesthetic in 3 cases, and by a modified GO-NLA (gas oxygen-neuroleptanesthesia) method in the other 2 cases. For intraoperative management, dopamine was used to control the circulation for significant decreases in blood pressure in cases of endotoxin shock, and insulin therapy was required for diabetics. For postoperative management, respiratory care with a respirator was required because of delayed wakening and respiratory depression in some cases.Furthermore, tube feeding and correction of electrolytes were required for postoperative ingestion disorders and hyponatremia in other cases.
Conclusion: These cases suggested that the procedure by incision and drainage for severe purulent inflammation in elderly people might frequently be performed when the patients general health is poor. Furthermore, respiration, circulation, metabolism and nutrition should be carefully controlled considering the impaired physical function with aging and underlyig medical diseases as complications in intraoperative and postoperative management.

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Good oral health contributes to a better quality of life. Close cooperation between dental professionals and public health nurses is essential for successful oral health care of the homebound elderly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of oral health awareness and oral health care activities of public health nurses.
A questionnaire was mailed to public health nurses at public health centers and govern-mental offices in Tokyo and Saitama. Responses were obtained from 161 public health nurses and 155 were analyzed, with 6 incomplete replies omitted.
The results were as follows:
1. Of 155 public health nurses, 62 (40.0%) had worked as public health nurses for fewer than 6 years.
2. One hundred and twenty-seven (81.9%) had been trained in personal oral hygiene.
3. One hundred and twelve (72.3%) thougth that they took good care of their own oral health.
4. Ninety-eight (63.2%) did not think that they had a sufficient knowledge of dentistry.
5. Eighty-one (52.3%) thought that they had a sufficient knowledge of the 8020 campaign (a campaign among Japanese for the retention of 20 healthy teeth at the age of 80).
6. One hundred and thirty-two (85.2%) believed that there was a close relationship between nutrition and the health of the homebound elderly.
7. One hundred and eighteen (76.1%) thought that oral health activities were of medium importance in their work.
8. Fifty-one (32.9%) had been trained in oral hygiene for adults.
9. Twenty-eight (18.1%) had been trained in oral hygiene for the homebound elderly.
10. One hundred and forty (90.3%) hoped to receive training in oral health for the home-bound elderly.
The oral health activities of public health nurses were estimated to be positive. However, many public health nurses, especially public health nurses with less than 6 years' experience, did not believe that they had a sufficient knowledge of dentistry. Almost all public health nurses hoped to receive training in oral health for the homebound elderly. Therefore there is an important demand for dentists and oral hygienists to train public health nurses in oral health for the homebound elderly.
Public health nurses who had been trained in oral health for adults thought that they took good care of their own oral health and that they had a sufficient knowledge of dentistry. This showed the positive effect of oral health education on health behavior.
These findings demonstrate that dental professionals should train public health nurses in oral health. Training by dental professionals should lead to close cooperation between dental professionals and public health nurses and an improvement in oral health care for the homebound elderly.

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In Order to find out the present level of care for dentures and the oral cavity as well as patient's awareness of the need for this care, we surveyed by questionnaire 96 denture wearers who visited our hospital. Further, we videotaped the patients who gave as permission as they actually cleaned their dentures.
The upper complete dentures of 10 subjects using denture brushes and those of 10 subjects using toothbrushes were coated with stain, which revealed the amount of plaque remaining on these dentures.
1. Results from the questionnaires
(1) Most subjects were satisfied with their dentures because they were able to chew, but dissatisfied with them because of pain. Some subjects were dissatisfied with dentures because they tended to be dirty and were difficult to take good care of.
(2) 52% of all subjects answered that they had be given instruction of handling dentures, but few sugjects remembered the details of the instructions.
(3) All subjects answered that they cleaned their dentures, while 95% of partial denture wearers and 73% of complete denture wearers cleaned their oral tissues as well.
(4) 89% of the subjects knew about denture cleansers, 44% knew about mouthwash, 35% knew about denture brushes and 18% knew about denture cleaning paste. For each item more than half of the subjects who knew about it actually used the specific item.
(5) 68% of the subjects knew about denture adhesives, but only 15% used them.
2. Findings from the video tapes revealed that very few subjects were cleaning their dentures with the tap water running.
3. There remained more plaque on the mucosal surface than on the polished surface of all parts of the upper complete dentures of the subjects using either denture brushes or toothbrushes. Incisive papilla regions, especially were hardly cleaned. Further, there was generally less plaque on the dentures of the subjects using denture brushes.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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The City of Osaka conducted investigation, as a measure to monitor the dental health of bed-ridden elderly people cared at home, with questionnaire surveys (11/1/92 to 1/31/93) and a home visit program (1/12/93 to 3/31/93). The dental health status and needs of all bed-ridden elderly people 65 years of age or older residing in four wards of Osaka (east; Joto, west; Taisho, south; Higashisumiyoshi, and north; higashiyodogawa) were examined. This study has spawned a home dental care program using portable dental examination kits supplied by the Osaka City Environment and Health Agency, which has been in progress since June 1, 1994.
The authors report in this paper the status of both this program and the home dental careconducted in the Higashiyodogawa Ward.
The subjects of the survey were 52 people, 65 years or older, who were residing in the above four wards, had been designated as bed-ridden (grade B or C of the evaluation criteria of the Ministry of Health and Welfare), and had requested a home health care. Of these 52 subjects, 26 people (50%) requested dental examinations and 29 people (56%) were judged to require a professional dental care by dentists participating in the program.
Eight patients were visited by participating dentists in the Higashiyodogawa Ward between June 1, 1994 and March 31, 1995, with the number of the total visits amounting to 55.
This study indicates the need to improve the oral health of the bed-ridden elderly and to promote a dental health instruction and home dental care. The authors believe that additional upgrading of this program would benefit improvement of the oral health and welfare of the bed-ridden elderly people who are cared at home.

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