We conducted a questionnaire survey on what students want from their university education in order to become dental technicians and dental hygienists. We surveyed second-year students in the Department of Oral Engineering (Dental Technician Training Course) and the Department of Oral Health Sciences (Dental Hygienist Training Course) at Osaka Dental University. We found that their motives for entering these two departments were "to be involved in dental care" and "to become a dental technician (or hygienist)." They wanted to be involved in dental care and obtain a dental technician or dental hygienist license. The students thought that dental (technical) skill was the most important requirement for dental technicians and hygienists in their respective departments.

This perception is probably correct since dentistry has many technical elements and important skills related to restoring and promoting patient health. Oral health students thought that "the skill to explain things clearly," i.e., communication skill, was most important. When asked about their ideal self, "the image of the dental technician or dental hygienist I want to be," it was found that they appreciated not only the skill required for their work but also the human aspect. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2023; Mar; 86(1): 1-13.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a potentially malignant disorder that occurs on the oral mucosa, it is intractable and painful, and can result in diminished oral hygiene management. This paper examines the role of dental hygienists in treating oral lichen planus. We examined the sex, age, reason for visit, lesion site, macroscopic findings, pain, dental prostheses, and oral cleaning status for 24 cases with a histopathological diagnosis of oral lichen planus. Seven of the subjects were male and 17 were female, and the average age was 61 years. Twenty-two of the cases were referred by dental clinics to the Department of Oral Surgery at Osaka Dental University. The reason for the referral was pain in 6 cases and a request for a detailed examination in 14 other cases. The site of onset was the buccal mucosa in 6 cases. the tongue in 3, and the gingiva in 3 others. The clinical findings noted white type lesions in 20 cases, and red type in 4 cases. The results of the initial Plaque Control Record of 13 cases ranged from 3% to 82%. Dental hygienists should play an important role in maintaining and improving patient oral hygiene management.

They need to understand their professional skills and knowledge, and participate in the maintenance and improvement of oral hygiene management with patients. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2023; Mar; 86(1): 14-20.

Bone resorption inhibitors such as bisphosphonate preparations and denosumab have become widely administered for the treatment of bone-related adverse events such as osteoporosis and bone metastasis of malignant tumors. However, while exerting a strong effect of suppressing bone resorption, the onset of drug-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) has become a problem in this region. Recently, there have been reports of surgical treatment for MRONJ. The average life expectancy in Japan has recently exceeded 80 years for both men and women, and the Geriatrics Society has proposed that people 90 years or older should be considered super-elderly. We report here four cases of MRONJ in super-elderly patients who underwent surgical treatment under general anesthesia. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2023; Mar; 86(1): 21-29.

Dental hygienists cooperate with various occupations related to health maintenance and promotion to meet the needs of the public. We conducted a questionnaire survey of fourth-year university students and third-year dental hygiene school students to understand changes in their desire to learn and to examine how effective learning support should be. The university students are dental hygiene students who will receive a four year university degree. We administered the questionnaires five times to 39 university students and 41 hygiene school students prior to their graduation, and followed up changes in their desire to learn. The survey items and ratings were: 'Plans and goals for dental hygienists', 'Desire', 'Self-motivation' and 'Desire to be a dental hygienist' on a scale of 1 to 5, and 'Off-campus study time' on a scale of 0 to 3. The students tended to score high at the start of clinical practice, lower during clinical practice, and higher the day after the national examination. The university students tended to have high scores at the start of clinical practice, but lower scores during clinical practice and on the day after the national examination. The results suggest that university students need to be supported in their learning by encouraging autonomy and a sense of purpose from the time of admission. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2023; Mar; 86(1): 30-37.

A dental prosthesis should be kept clean in order to maintain the health of the elderly who wear dentures. The purpose of this study was to examine the adsorption behavior of denture base surfaces using beef tallow, which is used as simulated contamination. In order to study the adsorption behavior of stains on dentures, we used the Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) system, which can measure the amount of adsorption of substances over time. Beef tallow was used in this study as an indicator of debris adsorption. A polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) QCM sensor mimicking a denture was fabricated by depositing PMMA on an Au QCM sensor. The surface of the sensor was observed with a scanning probe microscope and an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. In addition, we quantified the amount of beef tallow deposits with the QCM device. Surface analysis revealed that the PMMA QCM sensor had a uniform PMMA film. The PMMA QCM sensor showed significantly more beef tallow deposition than did the Au QCM sensor. We confirmed that beef tallow stains, as well as other substances, easily adhere to the resin surface of the denture base. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2023; Mar; 86(1): 38-44.

Here we report a case of marked prolonged prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT/INR) caused by post extraction hemorrhage. This is the case of a 79-year-old woman who had been taking warfarin 1.5 mg / day for chronic atrial fibrillation. Her coagulation factor tests four months earlier showed a PT/INR of 1.66, she had a poor appetite for two months, and her serum albumin was 2.8 g / dL two weeks earlier. The maxillary right lateral incisor and first molar were extracted at a local dental clinic. She was referred to our hospital for post-extraction hemorrhage on the same day. After oxidized cellulose was placed and sutured, hemostasis was confirmed, and she was sent home. The next morning, she returned to the hospital because of bleeding from the same site, and a blood test showed that the PT/INR was greater than 10. She was hospitalized and treated again for hemostasis, and infused intravenously with vitamin K 20 mg. No further hemorrhage was observed. The anemia and loss of appetite seemed to have led to hypoalbuminemia. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2023; Mar; 86(1): 45-50.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum. Recently, it has been pointed out that the morbidity rate has increased sharply due to the decline in preventive awareness of sexually transmitted diseases and the diversification of sexual behavior. Furthermore, syphilis has many opportunities to be diagnosed due to oral symptom. It is an important infection disease that should not be overlooked for dentists and oral surgeon.

Denture fibroma is caused by persistent chronic irritation by the bed edge of an incompatible denture. It is often resected by surgical procedure.

We report a case of extensive denture fibroma covering the entire upper and lower alveolar lesion in a patient with untreated syphilis.

The patient was a 56-year-old male with a huge mass covering the entire upper and lower alveolar lesion. The mass was a denture fibroma. A blood test revealed an untreated syphilis infection. Syphilis infection was treated successfully with amoxicillin hydrate. But extensive mass in oral was not decreased with amoxicillin. We carried out surgical resect the fibroma. After the operation, upper and lower new full denture was made. Now, syphilis and fibroma don't recurrence, and occlusal function recovered with the new denture. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2023; Mar; 86(1): 51-57.