Oral diadochokinesis（ODK）evaluation helps improve oral function and provide preventive oral care. ODK involves recording the number of times a subject pronounces each of the sounds /pa/ /ta/ /ka/ in one second. However, it is difficult for elderly people to self-measure with the IC recorder and pen-tapping methods. Therefore, we aimed to establish a simple self-assessment method for ODK evaluations.

　In the proposed self-assessment method, the subjects pronounced the sound /pataka/, while pointing at “10 pataka” written on a piece of paper, and measured the time in seconds（ “10 pataka” method）. The researcher simultaneously measured the time using a stopwatch. The results were expressed as number of sounds pronounced per second. The study participants were 27 elderly individuals. The measurements were taken twice, once for the “10 pataka” method and once for the ODK. An oral function measuring device（Kenkou-kun Handy^®）was used to evaluate ODK.

　A positive correlation was observed between the “10 pataka” method and each of /pa/ /ta/ /ka/ of the ODK, and between the measurements recorded by the subjects and researcher in the “10 pataka” method. The sensitivity of both the ODK and “10 pataka” methods was 0.78 and the specificities were 0.89 and 0.94, respectively, when the threshold of any of the ODK parameters was set at ≤4 times/s and the threshold of the “10 pataka” method was set at ≤6 s and ≤5.5 s for measurements by the subjects and researcher, respectively.

　These results suggest that the proposed method is useful not only as a self-check method for patients but also as a simple screening test for operators.

　Purpose：The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual experiences of four types of healthcare professionals（4HPs）（RNs：registered nurses, ANs：assistant nurses, CCWs：certified care workers, and CWs：care workers）at long-term nursing care facilities in Niigata Prefecture regarding the relationship between oral health care services（OCS）and improvement in the general condition of elderly residents, and thereby to contribute to the improvement of OCS.

　Methods：Free-response items（part of a larger questionnaire）related to the actual experiences of 4HPs were analyzed qualitatively using KH Coder. Out of a total of 1,548（51.6％）questionnaire respondents, 244（16.1％）4HPs answered the free-response items. A set of coding rules consisting of 26 items and 223 words was drawn up based on classification of parts of speech of the Japanese language, and co-occurrence network analyses were performed.

　Results：The results of this analysis revealed a close relationship between the experience level of the respondent and the respondentʼs perspective on the contribution of OCS to general physical improvement. Specifically, RNs and ANs showed high interest and awareness regarding pneumonia and breathing disorders, RNs and CCWs showed great concern regarding nutritional intake, and CCWs and CWs showed greatest concern toward oral and dental issues. It was as if each of the 4HPs wore different-colored glasses when they observed the relationship between oral health and physical changes of residents.

　Conclusion：This study suggested that the perspective of observing OCS differs between the 4HPs. Future research is needed to evaluate the influence of these differences in order to avoid aspiration pneumonia.

　An appropriate degree of moisture is very important for maintaining good oral hygiene. However, many elderly patients experience hyposalivation and xerostomia associated with aging and systemic diseases, as well as adverse reactions to drugs used to treat internal diseases. These patients are recommended to use an oral moisturizer for symptomatic treatment. For economic reasons, however, many patients do not use oral moisturizers appropriately. In this study, we created an inexpensive solution composed primarily of glycerin and used chicken breast to evaluate its moisture-maintaining capacity compared with distilled water and a commercial oral moisturizer（Butler Gel Spray^®）. We used a moisture-checking device（Mucus^®）to measure the degree of moisture；moisture-maintaining capacity was defined as the percent change in the degree of moisture（degree of moisture before spraying－degree of moisture at 120 minutes after spraying / degree of moisture before spraying×100）. The glycerin solution and Butler Gel Spray^® exhibited equal moisture-maintaining capacities after 120 minutes. In addition, there was no statistical difference in the moisture-maintaining capacities of 12, 24, and 36％ glycerin solutions. Therefore, glycerin solution has sufficient moisture-maintaining capacity as an oral moisturizer, and its low cost makes it economical for long-term use.

　Palatal augmentation prostheses（PAP）have been used for dysphagia caused by decreased lingual function. However, the shape of the PAP usually depends on the dentist, and the details of PAP shape are still unknown. In this preliminary study, the authors tried to clarify the basic three-dimensional shape of the PAP using homologous modeling and the relationship between the PAP shape and tongue pressure during swallowing, which is considered to be important for determining the configuration.

　An experimental occlusal splint（＋10 mm bite height）was delivered to eleven healthy dentate volunteers（mean age 26.7±8.4）to elevate their occlusal vertical dimension, then their PAP was fabricated following clinical procedures. The tongue pressure of six of the volunteers（mean age 28.8±20.2）wearing the splint and PAP was measured. PAPs were digitized, and homologous models were fabricated. Principal component analysis was used for three-dimensional analysis, and the relationship between the PAP shape and tongue pressure was analyzed by Pearsonʼs correlation coefficient.

　As a result, the following parts contributed to the three-dimensional PAP shape：height of palate, thickness of midline region, bulge of anterior part, overall thickness and bulge of lateral part. It was suggested that the overall PAP shape depends on these shapes. Additionally, the tongue pressure had a strong negative correlation with bulge of anterior and lateral part of the PAP, suggesting that it might be important to adjust the bulge of the anterior and lateral parts to adjust the PAP.

　The results of this preliminary study suggested that homologous modeling of the basic three-dimensional shape of the PAP might assist clinical procedures of PAPs in dysphagia rehabilitation. It is also suggested that the shapes of the anterior and lateral parts of the PAP have significant relationships with tongue pressure during swallowing.

　Japan is prone to major natural disasters. Accordingly, workshops on the training of medical and dental disaster coordinators in providing medical support in possible future disasters have recently been held. The numbers of both training workshops and registered dental professionals for disaster dental health care support are still insufficient. Therefore, we planned and held a workshop to give training on disaster dental health support to dental health care personnel. The aim of the workshop was to perform triages including dental diagnosis, oral health assessments, and disaster medical activities in cooperation with other medical institutes located in the disaster area. We designed a one-day program of workshops mixed with lectures and practical training sessions. A total of three workshop sessions were held in the Kyushu area, and 104 participants, including dentists, dental hygienists, dental technicians, a nurse, a clerical staffer, and dental students, completed the training. We confirmed participantsʼ understanding of the training by administering pre- and post-training questionnaires. The questionnaire responses showed that participantsʼ knowledge of disaster dental health care support activities, and in particular, oral health care and meal support by dental health care personnel, were greatly increased. Furthermore, we requested the participation of disaster medical support teams in each institute, such as dental associations, dental hygiene associations, and dental colleges/universities. We encouraged ongoing positive participation in disaster dental health care support activities in the future. We will continue to conduct workshops to increase the number of disaster dental health care supporters including dental students and dental interns by designing future education programs.