Alteration of Oral and Perioral Soft Tissue in Mice following Incisor Tooth Extraction.

Oral and perioral soft tissues cooperate with other oral and pharyngeal organs to facilitate mastication and swallowing. It is essential for these tissues to maintain their morphology for efficient function. Recently, it was reported that the morphology of oral and perioral soft tissue can be altered by aging or orthodontic treatment. However, it remains unclear whether tooth loss can alter these tissues' morphology. This study examined whether tooth loss could alter lip morphology. First, an analysis of human anatomy suggested that tooth loss altered lip morphology. Next, a murine model of tooth loss was established by extracting an incisor; micro-computed tomography revealed that a new bone replaced the extraction socket. Body weight was significantly lower in the tooth loss (UH) group than in the non-extraction control (NH) group. The upper lip showed a greater degree of morphological variation in the UH group. Proteomic analysis and immunohistochemical staining of the upper lip illustrated that S100A8/9 expression was higher in the UH group, suggesting that tooth loss induced lip inflammation. Finally, soft-diet feeding improved lip deformity associated with tooth loss, but not inflammation. Therefore, soft-diet feeding is essential for preventing lip morphological changes after tooth loss.

Sjögren's syndrome and ranula development.

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that the extravasation of saliva from damaged ducts with lymphocytic infiltration in patients with Sjögren's syndrome causes ranulas. There are too many uncertainties to support this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between Sjögren's syndrome and ranulas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We observed three cases of patients with ranulas who were also diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome at the same facility. These cases led to the question of whether there are other such cases, and thus, an exhaustive literature search was conducted. RESULTS: Three cases in two case reports of mucocele of the floor of the mouth associated with adult Sjögren's syndrome were noted. Including our cases, until now, there have been six cases of ranula with adult Sjögren's syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: It could be useful to investigate whether patients presenting with a ranula are also affected by Sjögren's syndrome and, conversely, investigate patients with Sjögren's syndrome longitudinally to see whether they develop ranulas.

Risk factors for postoperative dysphagia in oral cancer.

With the founding of its Oral Cancer Center at the Ichikawa General Hospital, Tokyo Dental College established a support system for patients and family members that not only provides surgery and other conventional cancer-oriented treatments, but also palliative care, nutritional support, rehabilitation, and discharge support. With this in mind, the present study sought to examine the nature of support for oral cancer patients with postoperative eating and swallowing disorders by investigating these disorders and identifying their risk factors. The study population comprised 75 surviving oral cancer patients (46 men and 29 women) discharged from the Tokyo Dental College Oral Cancer Center following treatment over a 2-year period from April 2009 to March 2011. Risk factors affecting eating and swallowing function were identified by statistical analysis. Mean age of the patients was 67.3±13.7 years. Fifteen patients had stage I cancer, while 25 had stage II, 13 had stage III, and 22 had stage IV. The feeding route at the time of discharge was oral feeding in 74 patients and a combination of oral and gastrostomy tube feeding in 1 patient. The Tokyo Dental College Ichikawa General Hospital has standardized the expert evaluation and rehabilitation of oral cancer patients with eating and swallowing disorders by establishing a multidisciplinary support system from the preoperative stage onwards. In this context, the results of our analysis of factors influencing the ability of oral cancer patients to orally ingest food after treatment suggest that preoperative cancer stage classification, neck dissection, and tracheotomy are all influential factors. Patients affected by these factors require further multidisciplinary treatment, which in turn necessitates more extensive coordination with other medical professionals and community health care providers.