The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate an inter-and intraprofessional education program with a peer support joint practice in which dental hygiene students teach medical and dental students about oral health care for older people requiring long-term care. In 2015 at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 22 dental hygiene students in their third year at the School of Oral Health Care Sciences (OH3), 110 students in their third year at the School of Medicine (M3), and 52 students in their third year at the School of Dentistry (D3) participated in this program. The OH3 students practiced with a whole-bodytype simulator to learn oral health care for older people and then taught the methods to the M3 and D3 students according to their self-designed teaching plan. All M3 and D3 students experienced being both practitioner and patient. The number of respondents and response rates on the questionnaires after the training were 22 (100%), 102 (92.7%), and 52 (100%) for the OH3, M3, and D3 students, respectively. Self-assessment by the OH3 students indicated that they could supervise other students sufficiently (77-86%), and 91% of them found the preclinical practice with the simulator efficient for the peer support joint practice. Almost all the M3 and D3 students reported that they gained understanding of the methods (99%), significance (100%), and important points of oral health care for older people (97%) in addition to the jobs and roles of dental hygienists (93%) because of this program. The M3 students understood the methods and significance of oral health care more deeply than did the D3 students (p<0.05). This study found that an interprofessional program with a peer support joint practice to cultivate practical clinical ability aided in increasing understanding and cooperation between medicine and dentistry.

Objective To determine recent insurance claim rates for, facility income from, and the roles of professionals associated with management of nutrition, oral ingestion and oral health maintenance in long‐term care insurance facilities (LTCIFs) in Niigata Prefecture. Methods A questionnaire on current staffing, oral health professional (OHP) utilisation, and claims for insured benefits for the investigated services was mailed to all LTCIFs in Niigata Prefecture, Japan (n = 304). Claim rates for and average facility income from these benefits were calculated. Facility income was compared between facilities with and without employed OHPs. Statistically significant factors associated with claims for investigated benefits were identified by logistic regression. Results Responses from 111 facilities indicated that they made insurance claims for nutrition management (95%), transition from tube feeding to oral ingestion (9%), basic maintenance of oral ingestion (39%), additional services for maintenance of oral ingestion (23%), oral health management system (68%), and oral health management (17%). Most facilities established collaborations with private dental clinics, but only 16% of facilities employed OHPs. Facility income was significantly higher (P = 0.005) for facilities that employed OHPs. OHP employment by facilities was associated with claims for four of the six benefits (P < 0.05). Conclusions Most facilities consulted with private dental clinics, and 16% of the facilities employed dentists or dental hygienists to help residents manage oral ingestion problems and oral health maintenance. The facility income associated with management of these problems was significantly higher in facilities employing dental professionals.

Background and Objective:Tube feeding has been significantly associated with a higher rate of aspiration pneumonia that is mainly related to oral microorganisms and a reduced salivary flow. Thus, the difference in the mode of nutritional intake is expected to affect the oral environment, but this has not yet been fully clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate, in tube-fed patients, changes in the oral moisture and the counts of microorganisms in saliva and tongue coating, which occur after oral ingestion resumption.Methods:Study participants were 7 tube-fed inpatients of the Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital (72.7±8.5 years old) who received dysphagia rehabilitation at the Unit of Dysphagia Rehabilitation until oral ingestion resumption. Their oral health, swallowing, and nutrition status, oral mucosal moisture, amount of unstimulated saliva and the counts of microorganisms (total microorganisms, streptococci, Candida) in saliva and tongue coating were investigated and compared before and after the recommencement of oral intake.Results:Tongue coating, choking, oral mucosal moisture and amount of unstimulated saliva were improved significantly after resumption of oral ingestion. The other investigated parameters did not significantly change, except for the streptococci in tongue coating, which significantly increased 1 week after oral ingestion recommencement, but decreased thereafter.Conclusion:After oral intake resumption, oral mucosal moisture and amount of unstimulated saliva were improved. However, because of a transitory increase in the counts of streptococci with oral ingestion recommencement, it is important to appropriately manage oral hygiene in these patients, according to the changes in their intraoral microbiota.