Are Self-Reported Masticatory Ability and Regular Dental Care Related to Mortality?

AIM: The aim of the study was to examine whether a combination of self-reported masticatory ability and regular dental care is linked to mortality and issuance of new long-term care insurance (LTCI) service certifications. METHODS: Older residents in institutions or in need of LTCI certification requirements were excluded, and self-administered questionnaires were sent to 5,400 older adults in 2013; these participants were followed for 5 years. The total response rate was 94.3%, and our final sample comprised 4,824 older adults (89.3%). We used 3 items to assess self-reported masticatory ability and regular dental care. These included (1) decline in chewing abilities of the posterior teeth on either side, (2) not brushing one's own teeth or dentures at least once a day, and (3) not visiting the dentist at least once a year. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants at baseline was 75.9 years, and 58.4% of them were women. Main outcomes included mortality (n = 562) or new LTCI certification requirements (n = 1187) during the 5-year period. Multivariate analyses revealed that a poor score on masticatory ability and on regular dental care produced significant adverse health outcomes leading to earlier negative outcomes. The score is considered poor as it increases relative to the 0-point reference. DISCUSSION: Regular dental care (both self-and professional care) and maintaining masticatory ability are both important. Hence, public activities focusing on preventive oral health from middle age onward is important.

Bilateral multiple pulmonary metastases in a patient with double advanced cancer of the head and neck.

A case of advanced gingival cancer is described. The cancer invaded into the mandible and skin of the cheek and was associated with cervical lymph node metastases, mediastinal lymph node metastases, and bilateral multiple pulmonary metastases. The patient received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and local immunotherapy, followed by curative surgery for the primary and neck lesions. Histopathological examination of the primary cancer and the upper and middle cervical nodes (n = 7) indicated a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Sections of the lower cervical nodes (n = 5) revealed well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma, suggesting that the mediastinal and pulmonary lesions were of thyroid origin. After total thyroidectomy and mediastinal dissection followed by treatment with radioiodine, the multiple pulmonary nodules disappeared. There has been no evidence of recurrent tumour for 5 years.

Abnormal cellular property of fibroblasts from congenital gingival fibromatosis.

Two strains of cultured cells were isolated and characterized from the gingiva of two siblings with congenital gingival fibromatosis. The growth rate of both fibroblast strains was slower than that of comparable cells obtained from the normal gingiva of control individuals. The amounts of substances, including collagen and glycosaminoglycans, biosynthesized by the diseased cells were much greater than those by the control cells from normal gingivae. Namely, 11.7-13.7% of the protein synthesized by diseased cells was collagen, whereas collagen accounted for only 6.1-8.5% of the total protein produced by normal cells. Moreover, the production of a large amount of extracellular substances by the diseased cells was confirmed by electron microscopic examination. These observations suggest that the fibromatosis tissues contain affected fibroblasts which have low growth activity but are active in the production of much greater amounts of collagen and other extracellular substances compared to normal fibroblasts.

Ameloblastomatous calcifying odontogenic cyst in the mandible.

Ameloblastoma is one of the well-known odontogenic tumours that can be associated with calcifying odontogenic cysts (COCs), but only a few reports include detailed clinical and radiographic features. In this paper we demonstrate a case of large ameloblastomatous COC in the mandible. The radiographic examination revealed the presence of a multilocular cystic lesion in the right posterior part of the mandible containing the impacted lower second molar with remarkable expansion toward both lingual and buccal side. This feature was different from the general findings of COC and rather resembled that of ameloblastomas.

The complex episode of transient global amnesia.

In most reports, Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) consisted of a single episode of total amnesia. The detailed investigation on the process of recovery from amnesia in the present two cases of TGA indicated the existence of a complex episode of TGA which consisted of a sequence of episodes of total amnesia.