As a department specialized in treating oral dysfunction, the Department of Oral Rehabilitation was established in Osaka Dental University Hospital in May 2017. We conducted a retrospective survey of 140 patients in this new department from May 1, 2017 to May 31, 2019. The average age was 66 ± 18 years, and most were in their 80s. The main complaints were “difficulty speaking" in 30 cases, “rehabilitation after oral surgery" in 29 cases, and “difficulty swallowing" in 28 cases. The primary diseases were head and neck cancer in 39% and frailty in 20%. In terms of dental care, 69% of the respondents only received oral rehabilitation, and tongue function exercise was the most frequent in this group. Among the issues for improvement in daily function, 24% needed to increase the number of items they could eat and desired improvement in their dietary patterns. We found many patients with oral dysfunction in our department that affected their daily life. Further studies are needed in order to develop evaluation items and endpoints for life function as an outcome of oral rehabilitation. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2021; Mar; 84(1):1‐6.

We investigated the progress of treatment for recurrent mandibular dislocation 6 years after autologous blood injection (ABI) therapy. We examined 18 patients who had received initial ABI treatment more than 6 years earlier. Fourteen of them had concomitant systemic disease. Seven of the patients (39%) had died, 7 (39%) were still alive, and 4 (22%) could not be located. Of the 7 patients who were still alive and could be located, 4 (86%) had no recurrence. We concluded that ABI therapy was minimally invasive and effective for treatment of recurrent TMJ dislocation. This treatment is safe and especially appropriate for patients with unfavorable medical conditions. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2021; Mar; 84(1):7‐11.

Subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema are complications associated with oral and maxillofacial surgery. A 52-year-old male underwent a surgical operation under general anesthesia that included surgical tracheostomy, dissection of the submental and bilateral submandibular region, and tumor resection for an oral floor carcinoma. The tracheal tube was removed four days after surgery. Six days after surgery the patient developed a massive subcutaneous emphysema extending from his cheeks and neck to his chest wall due to a severe cough. A neck and chest computed tomography examination revealed mediastinal emphysema. We administered conservative treatment with antibiotics. No further complications were observed 12 days after surgery. As the wound healing was uneventful, the patient was discharged after three weeks. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2021; Mar; 84(1):12-16.