Modern medicine, grounded in science, has contributed significantly to the advancement of diagnosis, treatment, and longevity. However, its development based on Cartesian dualism has led to an overemphasis on the physical body, often neglecting the human aspects of both patients and healthcare providers. Western countries have incorporated medical humanities into medical education to address the complexity and ambiguity of human experiences in healthcare. These efforts include the integration of visual arts and narrative-based approaches to bridge the gap between disease （objective, science-based） and illness （subjective, experience-based）. This review explores the limitations of a science-dominated model and discusses recent trends in medical humanities. We also present educational initiatives in Japan, including art-based programs and workshops, as examples of incorporating the humanities into medical education. Finally, the future perspective of art in health care is considered, emphasizing its potential to re-humanize medical practice and cultivate physicians capable of engaging with patients as whole persons.

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Extraction of mandibular wisdom teeth is the most common operation in oral surgery treatment. However, it is an invasive and stressful procedure for the patient. Recently, a method has been developed to evaluate autonomic nervous activity using heart rate variability as a stress indicator. In this study, we investigated the influence of mandibular wisdom tooth extraction on autonomic nervous activity.
The study included 28 healthy patients who had undergone mandibular wisdom tooth extraction under local anesthesia. The measures were subjective anxiety, heart rate and LF/HF. The VAS was used for subjective anxiety. Heart rate and LF/HF were measured continuously using a wearable heart rate sensor.
The results showed that patients had more sympathetic nervous activity before and after tooth extraction than during tooth extraction. It is suggested that mental burden may have a greater effect on autonomic activity than physical invasion.

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There have been several reports on the usefulness of OK-432 sclerotherapy for ranula; however, reports on alternative drugs remain limited, despite the need for effective agents with fewer side effects.
This study evaluated the usefulness and safety of 50％ hypertonic glucose solution （HGS） as an alternative drug to OK-432. Of the 42 patients with ranula who were examined at our department during 13 years, 10 treated by sclerotherapy （7 with 50％ HGS and 3 with OK-432） were selected, and their age, sex, disease type, treatment, presence of adverse reactions, and clinical course were evaluated. The responses were rated as （1） “disappearance,” （2） “reduction in size,” or （3） “no response.” The responses were rated as “disappearance” in 4, “reduction in size” in 2, and “no response” in 1 of the 7 patients treated with 50％ HGS, and as “disappearance” in all 3 patients treated with OK-432 by two rounds of sclerotherapy. In addition, although OK-432 was more consistently effective than 50％ HGS, 50％ HGS had few adverse reactions. As a comprehensive evaluation, the outcome was clearly more favorable with OK-432 than with 50％ HGS, but 50％ HGS is considered to be a useful alternative for patients who cannot tolerate OK-432.

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Calcified epithelioma is one of the pilomatricomas and is most common in the head and neck area around the auricular region. It is often treated by dermatology and plastic surgery and is not well recognized in dentistry. In the present study, we experienced a case in which a calcified epithelioma was removed from a patient who underwent continuous dental treatment since immediately after the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus. The tumor lesion was indistinct in the panoramic radiographs at the time of initial examination, but five years later, a well-defined opaque border around the mandibular branch was clearly visible. CT images revealed a 10mm-sized mass lesion with calcification just under the skin in front of the earlobe, which was excised under general anesthesia. The histopathology showed a nodular lesion with calcification, consisting of shadow cells and acidophilic, unstructured material, which was a calcified epithelioma. Three months after surgery, no recurrence has been observed.

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