Why did a Japanese dentist conduct a dental health survey?
Japanese teeth awareness is far from the world！
In Europe and the United States, dentists are longing and reliable partners.
But in Japan, dentists are “dislikes”?
We conducted an “Oral Care Awareness Survey” targeting 3,600 men and women in Japan, the United States and Sweden between the ages of 15 and 69. One of them asked, “What is a dentist for you?”
In the case of the United States, the largest number was “favorite/longed-for (40.3%)” followed by “reliable partner (32.6%)”.
In Sweden, as well as in the United States, “favorable partners (26.3%)” and “favorites/admirers (16.4%)” ranked as positive.
On the other hand, in Japan, less than 20% of respondents said that they can rely on them (17.2%), but basically “others (23.9%)” and “dislikes and dislikes (14.0%)” Negative answers such as.
Only 1.9% of the respondents answered that they liked and loved them.
In addition to this survey report, you can see the difference in image of Japanese dentists from the popular occupation rankings of each country. Dentists are in the top three every year in the US rankings, and dental hygienists are also popular occupations.
The values for dentists and dental care are very different from Japan.
In recent years, dentists have also become a popular occupation in China.
Some say that the cost of dental treatment in urban areas of China is already soaring compared to the cost of treatment in central Tokyo.
Do Japanese people go to the dentist for prevention compared to the West?
Is it true to go to the dentist after the pain starts?
When asked about the number of times a dentist was consulted for a dental checkup in the last year in a 2014 survey by Lion Ltd., the number of people who answered “ two times ” in the U.S. The number of people who answered “once” was the highest.
On the other hand, the most common response in Japan was “I have not received a medical checkup in the last year”, indicating that 57.5% of the people have not received a medical checkup in the last year.
The result that “the Japanese only go to the dentist when they have pain” seems to be largely due to the health insurance system unique to Japan.
Where to learn oral care?
In Europe and the United States, “learn at a dental clinic” is fundamental,Japanese are “self-style”
In the United States and Europe, more than half of the respondents reported that they used information learned from dentists (US: 51.3%, Sweden: 61.3%) when working on oral care.
On the other hand, Japan accounted for only 30.8%, and the result was that “no particular information was referenced (self-style)”: 41.3% was the highest.
This suggests that the Japanese may not have received proper treatment at the dental clinic.
The oral environment is said to be greatly affected by the economic and social background at the individual level. Japan is a country with less economic disparity than in Western countries. Nevertheless, it is said that Japanese people, even those working for listed companies in urban areas, have a much lower awareness of oral health than European and American countries.
In the case of Western societies, it is often thought that the self-management ability of dirty teeth is low, and it has been reported that employment and work have a great negative effect.
In light of these results, it is indispensable for Japanese people to play an active role in the international community to change their attitude toward dental care.
Are Japanese dentists unreliable?
To verify that Japanese people can not be reliable partners when receiving oral care advice from dentists and dental clinics, we examined the actual situation of dentists’ oral care and oral health I tried to investigate.
In this survey, we conducted a questionnaire survey and an X-ray survey for qualified dental care professionals in Japan (dentists, dental hygienists, dental technicians).
Then, the following findings came out.
※This survey is a joint study of “IOS” and Shizuoka Prefecture Mishima Dental Association.
It was presented at the European Orthodontic Society in Nice, France in June 2019.
Qualified dentist found that their teeth are healthy
《Investigation result》
Compared with the general public, dental professionals such as dentists have healthy teeth
In particular, the age group of middle-aged people (over 50 years old), in which the chance of losing teeth suddenly worsens, is remarkable.
Characteristics of oral care for qualified dental care personnel
▼Brushing her teeth at least twice a day
▼Using dental floss
▼Few smokers
The result is that many qualified dental professionals brush their teeth daily and use floss.
Proper dental knowledge has a significant effect on dental health.
Also, it has become clear that smoking increases the prevalence of periodontal disease about 5 times.
Knowledge gained at dental clinics is important for maintaining dental health
Regular patients who go to the dental clinic regularly know that they can get the right dental knowledge and keep their teeth healthy.
In other words, dental care can be maintained by receiving appropriate advice from a specialist in a dental clinic, as in Europe and the United States, rather than performing oral care in a personal way.
Is instinct that tooth alignment is related to dental health?
The results show that dental knowledge is greatly affected in maintaining dental health.
We believe that the link between malocclusion and dental health is not sufficiently credible due to the lack of uniformity of dental knowledge in previous studies.
In this study, we investigated whether dental alignment and jaw skeleton are related to dental health, targeting experts with high dental knowledge.
As a result, it was found that if the angle of the lower jawline deviated significantly from the normal value, it was highly possible that the back teeth would be lost.
To keep your teeth healthy, regular visits to a dental clinic are recommended!
Is tooth alignment important?
It is very important to have the right knowledge of oral care to keep your teeth healthy.
It has also been found that the oral environment of Japanese dental professionals is much healthier than the general public.
However, even a dentist can lose teeth. Indeed, there are still uncertainties regarding bite and dental health.
The study found that certain malocclusions could be highly correlated with tooth loss.
However, the angle of the lower jawline, which has been correlated this time, may hide skeletal malocclusions on the maxillofacial surface.
To diagnose skeletal malocclusion, a specialized orthodontic diagnosis is essential.
Also, there may be cases in which back teeth need to be restored with prosthodontic treatment. In such a case, it may be necessary to consider the angle of the mandibular lower edge plane in the treatment goal.
To keep your teeth healthy
To keep your teeth healthy, get regular dental check-ups from a dentist who is a dental professional, instead of becoming your own!
Regular checkups can help you detect illness early and get the right oral care advice to improve your oral condition.
We, Japanese dentists, will continue to strive to be recognized as “reliable partners” as in Europe and the United States.
If you are worried about the alignment of teeth, why not consult a dental clinic that specializes in “comprehensive orthodontic treatment” that can provide comprehensive support for preventive dentistry?
【For Dentists】
Jaw morphology is also very important in setting goals for comprehensive orthodontic treatment.
However, it has not been clear what kind of occlusion is to date.
Our findings show that the mandibular lower marginal plane may be important in setting treatment goals.
In the future, we would like to increase the scope of the survey and conduct further verification.
We look forward to your continued support and empathy for the development of the field of “Comprehensive Orthodontics”.
＊This research was conducted in cooperation with the Shizuoka Prefecture Mishima Dental Association. Special thanks to all those involved.
＊There are various opinions in medical information. The medical information we deliver includes personal views that “IOS” has uniquely interpreted from a medical perspective. Please be forewarned.
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References
1. MYNAVI NEWS「Dentists are “admirers” in the United States and “●● people” in Japan-World Oral Care Survey
https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20140217-a067/
2. Doctorbook academy「Awareness of preventive dentistry in Japan Part 2: Comparison with overseas」
https://academy.doctorbook.jp/columns/shikaken2#
3. Lion Ltd.,「Oral care awareness survey in Japan, USA, and Sweden Vol.2」https://www.lion.co.jp/ja/company/press/2014/pdf/2014050.pdf
4.Miyazaki et al/A study of model and cephalograms in elderly persons over 80 years old with at least 20 teeth/Orthodontic waves/2001.60(2)
5. Summary of 2016 Dental Disease Survey Results
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/dl/62-28-02.pdf
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▼Writer
Satomi Orthodontic clinic
The president: Satomi Naito
Graduated from Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Certified Orthodontic Society of Japan
IOS Central Member & IOS Orthodontist team member
“ Teeth Alignment The Specialist”