Japanese

Oral Epidemiology

The original website is here.

Prof. NAITO Mariko

【Research Keywords】
Oral health, Non-communicable diseases, Dysphagia, Sensory function, Quality of life (QOL) / Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), Community-dwelling older adults, Social support

【Recent highlights】
We have initiated collaborative research with Jönköping University and Linköping University in Sweden, and Taipei Medical University in Taiwan. A graduate student exchange with Linköping University has also been realized. We operate the Dental Hygienist Education and Training Center, supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, to promote workforce retention and support for returning professionals. Our research also focuses on improving the quality of life of community-dwelling older adults.

Profiles of Faculty and Research Scholars

【Major Papers of the Laboratory】
・Association of physical function with masticatory ability and masticatory habits: a cohort study, BMC ORAL HEALTH, 24(1), 20241024
・Association between the number of existing teeth and maintenance dialysis therapy: A cross-sectional study of adult male dentists, PLOS ONE, 19(8), 20240816
・Association between dysphagia risk and sleep quality in community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study, HELIYON, 10(11), 20240615

【Education】
Our team consists of two faculty members (Professor: Mariko NAITO, Assistant Professor: Rumi NISHIMURA), responsible for teaching social dentistry subjects—such as epidemiology, medical statistics, and oral hygiene—in both the School of Dentistry and the Department of Oral Health Sciences, as well as in the dental hygienist training program. We also hold regular online study sessions on epidemiological and clinical research.

【Research】
Together with graduate students, alumni, and domestic and international collaborators, we conduct research in an open and collegial atmosphere. Our work focuses on epidemiological and clinical studies, particularly cross-sectional and cohort studies. In QOL and PRO research, we engage in a wide range of activities - from scale development to studies incorporating objective measures.