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| Acting Chief Kumiko Oka, Ph.D., D.D.S. |
Senior Staff Shunsuke Ochiai, D.D.S. |
Yuka Yamada, D.D.S. |
Chief Resident Yuka Tamura, Ph.D., D.D.S. |
Chief Resident Kaya Hirai, D.D.S. |
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| Resident Ryozo Miyagi, D.D.S. |
Resident Ayaka Watanabe, D.D.S. |
During a cancer treatment, a patient often develops disorders in the oral mucosal membrane or oral ulcer due to the adverse effects of anti-cancer drugs or radiation. If these disorders worsen, the patient might need to postpone or suspend the cancer treatment. At the Division of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, the “oral supportive care” is provided treat or prevent oral problems during the course of cancer treatment, supporting cancer patients to let them continue their cancer treatments in safe and secure manners. The “dentistry supporting cancer patients” has been increasing nationwide, as many other cancer hospitals and core cancer hospitals in Japan have also started setting up divisions of dentistry supporting the patients in the same manner as the SCC.
At the Division of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, we support cancer patients by taking care of their oral problems trying to reduce their suffering in the mouth and improve their quality of life. In order to achieve this goal, we advance three principals; promoting oral care, promoting multidisciplinary team medicine, and coordinating with local dentists.
It is often the case that cancer patients have oral problems as side effects of their cancer treatments. However, it has been proven that the oral problems can be prevented or reduced by maintaining the oral health. At the Shizuoka Cancer Center, the Division of Dentistry and Oral Surgery has been established since the opening of the hospital and has engaged in the oral care for the patients as well as the instructions in self-care ever since. With our support, the cancer treatment itself can be carried out as scheduled, with almost no cases of treatment being postponed or suspended.
We collaborate with other clinical divisions to support the patients when they take “cancer treatments with high risks for oral disorders” including anti-cancer drug therapy or radiation therapy in the regions surrounding the mouth. We participate in the treatments even before they start for preventing the oral problems, so that the patients can complete their cancer treatments just as scheduled. In addition, we have established a supporting system for when the patients start having oral problems during their cancer treatments.
Most of the cancer patients spend their time at home, except when they are at the SCC as inpatients or outpatients. This means oral care or treatment at this division in the SCC won’t be sufficient. For this reason, we highly recommend our patients to have their own “family dentists” in the towns where they live and have regular oral checkups with them. At the SCC, we have created a support system for our cancer patients through collaboration with many local dentists within Shizuoka Prefecture, so that the patients can have continuous oral care, both before and after hospitalization, at the local dental clinics near their homes. Also, during the cancer treatment, we work together with their family dentists whenever it is necessary to provide our patients with supportive care and dental procedures for their oral disorders.
We support the cancer patients by treating their oral problems to let them continue their cancer treatments as scheduled. And this attitude is being adopted at other cancer hospitals, too. The movement has led to building up a structure involving many hospitals and dental clinics nationwide. It is still in progress, and with the structure, all the cancer patients in Japan can have oral health checks at the nearest dental clinics, regardless of where they live or which cancer hospital they go to. In addition, self-oral-care is one of the important cancer therapies. If you have anything that you are not sure about the oral care, please visit the Division of Dentistry and Oral Surgery and ask us. Also, as we take care of any oral problems associated with cancer or cancer treatments, please come to us whenever you have any troubles or concerns about your teeth or mouth during your cancer treatment.
oral supportive care
Certified Doctor, the Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Certified Doctor and Specialist, the Japanese Society of Dentistry for Medically Compromised Patient
The Japanese Association of Oral Supportive Care in Cancer
Coaching Dentist for Clinical Training
oral surgery
Certified Doctor, the Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
The Asian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Asian AOMS)
The Japanese Society of Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
The Japanese Academy of Maxillofacial Implants
The Japanese Society of Orofacial Pain
The Japanese Society for Temporomandibular Joint
The Japan Prosthodontic Society
The Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
The Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
The Japanese Academy of Maxillofacial Implants
The Japanese Society of Oral Medicine
The Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
The Japanese Society of Oral Oncology
The Japanese Academy of Maxillofacial Implants
The Japanese Society of Oral Diagnosis / Oral Medicine
The Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
