The purpose of this study is to propose a convenient method to evaluate total oral bacterial count based on salivary ammonia concentrations by independent elderly.
The Subjects were 146 elderly (mean age 71.7 years) living in Himeji City who had agreed to a study of their oral health behavior, and check ups. After rinsing with 3 ml of distilled water for 10 sec, the mouth rinsed solution (MRS) was then collected as an alternative saliva sample. The total bacterial count and the ammonia concentrations from the MRS were measured as an indicator of their oral cleanliness. The total bacterial count in the MRS was measured by real-time PCR methods and the ammonia concentrations were measured by using ammonia test paper (Ami-check^\_hTM).
When it was assessed by logarithmic conversion, the concentrations of ammonia from MRS correlated positively with the total bacterial count (r=0.577) with a statistical significance at p<0.01.
The ammonia production of oral and opportunistic microorganisms was examined with 40 standard microbial strains. In 23 species 31 strains of oral bacteria, 21 species and 26 strains produced ammonia. The most active bacteria was \_iPorphyromonas gingivalis. In addition, 6 species of the 9 strains of opportunistic bacterium, 5 species and 7 strains including \_iPseudomonas aeruginosa, \_iKlebsiella pneumoniae et al. produced ammonia.
From these studies, it is suggested that the concentrations of ammonia from the MRS are useful indicators of oral cleanliness.

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[in Japanese]

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Tokyo Dental College Ichikawa general hospital investigated the conditions of diabetic patients jointly with three departments : internal medicine, dentistry, and ophthalmology. We observed how the dental hygienist had to intervene in response to the situation of oral hygiene for over 65 years old diabetics.
The subjects comprised 43 patients with a dentulous jaw (male : 20, female : 23, average age : 69.2 years old) among the 142 diabetic patients who visited the internal medicine department of our hospital and were approved to visit our department over a period of one year, between November 2007 and October 2008.
There were ten examination items : gender, age, duration of diabetes, presence of retinopathy, treatment method of diabetes, HbA1c, degree of alveolar bone absorption, present teeth, PCR, and BOP.
Among these items, here we focus on age, PCR, BOP, the number of present teeth, and HbA1c.
Investigation of the relationships between age and PCR, BOP, and the number of present teeth showed a positive correlation between age and PCR as well as BOP. In addition, the number of present teeth was the highest among subjects aged 70~74 years, and tended to decrease from 75 years of age. No correlation was observed between HbA1c and PCR, BOP, and the number of present teeth.
Since a correlation was observed between age and the state of oral hygiene but not between the state of diabetes and the state of oral hygiene, oral hygiene instructions given by dental hygienists were considered important for elderly individuals regardless of whether they have diabetes.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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