Japanese

Oral Epidemiology

The original website is here.

Prof. Mariko Naito

【Research Keyword】
Oral Health, Epidemiology, Cohort study, Quality of Life, Patient-reported Outcome, Dysphagia, Gene-environment interaction, Noncommunicable diseases

【Recent highlights】
The Center for Dental Hygienists’ Education and Training in Hiroshima University supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Our missions are the prevention of the turnover and the support for the return to work as a dental hygienist. We have made efforts to organize the center and disseminated information in society. Furthermore, we have built a network of QOL/PRO researchers (https://qol-pro.jp/english/). Several collaborative projects supported by the government grants have been conducted in the QOL/PRO research field since 2020.

Profiles of Faculty and Research Scholars

【Education】
The department of Oral Epidemiology is responsible for the education of social dentistry (Epidemiology, Medical Statistics, Oral Hygiene, Public Health Administration). It also contributes to train the dental hygienists who become leaders in national and international oral health. We have started an online journal club for students and faculty stuffs since 2020.

【Research】
The faculty members (Prof. Mariko Naito, Dr. Rumi Nishimura) are involved in various epidemiological and clinical research. The department trains masters and doctoral students in interdisciplinary research in the specialties of dentistry. Please visit our website (http://oral-epi.jpn.org/?lang=en).

The department focuses on the following areas:
・Epidemiological studies regarding associations between oral health and general health
・Molecular epidemiology and gene-environmental interaction
・Associations between health screening behavior, health status and lifestyle
・Research for dysphagia patients and their caregivers
・QOL/PRO research
・Age-related changes in oral sensation
・Associations between oral functions and dysphagia