Undergraduate and Graduate Schools Curriculum

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The education curriculum of the Graduate School of Dentistry aims to foster the ability of people to independently take a leading role in research in their fields of specialty while conducting research in academic theory and applications in the field of dentistry, to delve into this field, and contribute widely to human services and the advancement of culture.

Primary Research Topics

Doctoral Course（Dental Medicine）Course Term: 4 years

Research Field Primary Research Topics
Clinical Education Development and Research
  • ・Study on education system of clinical clerkship
    ・Study on assessment system of clinical ability for students in clinical dental education
    ・Study on education system to acquire clinical skills for performance of primary care in dentistry
    ・Study on medical risk management in clinical clerkship
    ・Study on drug discovery for prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases
    ・Study on relationships between oral and systemic health
    ・Psychological study of patients
    ・Psychological study of dental students
Comprehensive Dental Research

・Research in the performance of medical treatment
・Research in patient behavior and the diagnosis/treatment system
・Research concerning communication in medical treatment
・Professionalism studies
・Human subject and physical simulation studies
・Dental/medical education research
・Comprehensive research in diagnosis and treatment
Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry

・Development of acquisition methods of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques necessary for conservative dentistry medical specialists
・Development of new treatment techniques and biomaterials
・Development of dental pulp and periapical tissue regeneration therapy
・Analysis of dental pulp and periapical tissue disease biology
Periodontology

・Patient response to initial periodontal therapy
・Mechanisms of periodontal pocket formation
・Effects of occlusal trauma on periodontal tissue destruction
・Systemic effects of periodontal disease
・Research and development of diagnostic devices for periodontal disease
Occlusions and Maxillofacial Reconstruction

・Investigation of jaw position in relation to obstractive sleep apnea syndrome
・Clinical evaluation of dental magnetic attachment
・Splint therapy for temporomandibular disorders and effects on brain function
・Effects of habitual mastication on mandibular movement
・Clinical research concerning retention and stabilization of complete dentures

Oral Reconstruction and Rehabilitation

・Research on treatment with immediate oral implants
・Research on xerostomia and physiological functioning of salivary glands
・Research on implant treatment risk assessment
・Research on diagnosis and treatment of parafunction
・Oral health-related quality of life assessment

Biomaterials

・Applications of electrolyzed water in dentistry
・Development of  artificial enamel and dentin
・Imparting antimicrobial properties to dendal materials and instruments
・Development of novel ponding pretreatment device for dental adhesion
・Development of novel CAD/CAM materials
・Development of novel implant materials
・Characterization for bonding of dental materials
Anatomy

・Molecular structure of tooth generation
・Elucidation of emergence mechanisms of cleft lip and cleft palate
・Signal transduction in mammalian taste buds
・Molecular biology of taste bud development and taste receptor structures
・Role of ATP and contribution of ATP receptor expression in oral sensation (taste, pain, etc.)
・Cellular biological and ultra-structural studies of hard tissue and oral mucosa
Physiology

・Mechanism of salivary secretion
・Cognitive mechanism of food texture perception
・Neurological mechanism of orofacical pain
・Pathophysiology of oral mucositis and development of pain relief drugs
・Function of mastication and swallowing
Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry

・Bone and skeletal muscle metabolism
・Fate decision mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells
・The function of taste receptors in musculoskeletal tissues
・Proliferation mechanisms of malignant melanoma
Oral Pathology

・Clinical pathology research aimed at improving diagnostic precision of precancerous lesions
・Functional analysis of β-thymosins
・Molecular and histopathological analysis of oral diseases
Infections and Molecular Biology

・Regulatory mecanisms of sugar chain recognition on innate immune responses and bone and cartilage metabolism
・Regulatory mecanisms of bacrerial biofilm formation and drug resistance
・Oral bacterium and host cell interactions
・Development of novel strategy of diagnoses, treatment, and prevention for oral infectious diseases
・Application of three-dimensional culture systems for tissue regeneration and pathological model
Applied Pharmacology

・Drug development targeting intracellular transport in membrane molecules
・Regulatory mechanisms of metabolic and multi-organ networks
・Tumor suppressing effect and mechanism of action mediated by newly synthesized chemical compounds
Clinical Epidemiology

・Clinical epidemiological study and dental practice-based research
・International comparative research on evaluation of diagnosis, treatment effectiveness, and prognosis
・Research on evidence-practice gap
Community Oral Health Development

・Epidemiological study of the relationship between oral and systemic health/sarcopenia of the elderly in the region
・Study of predictive model development for oral frailty using spatial information analysis
・Epidemiological study on the association between chronobiology and oral/systemic health condition
・Study of sociopsychology factor analysis relating to ozostomia
・Study of nano-bubble water clinical application
Comprehensive Internal Medicine

・Epidemiological study concerning oral and systemic health condition of the elderly.
Oral Functional Development

・Oral functional development and evaluation
・Study of dental caries and dental erosion
Orofacial Functions and Orthodontics
  • ・Research concerning pain arising from orthodontic treatment
    ・Study on remodeling of periodontal tissue during orthodontic tooth  movement
    ・Research concerning neuropeptides and bone remodeling
    ・Investigation of gene responsible for congenital anomaly associated with malocclusion and the function
    ・Clinical evaluation concerning with long-term stability of orthognathic treatment
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

・Research into MRI use for diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorders
・Research into precise blood vessel disclosure using MR angiography
・Evaluation of clinical applications of MR sialography
・Molecular biological analysis of signaling of apoptotic cell death induced by ionizing radiation

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

・Development of novel cancer diagnosis system using electrochemical telomerase assay
・Development of a diagnostic support system for oral mucosal diseases
・Development of novel anti-cancer drug targeting telomere DNA
Oral Medicine

・Clinical research on jaw deformity (functional evaluation and sociopsychology evaluation)
・Development of computer-assisted oral surgical procedure
・Research on elucidating pathogenesis and establishing new treatment method for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ)
・Research on diagnosis of oral mucosal lesion using AI
・Fundamental research on oral cancer diagnosis and treatment
Dental Anesthesiology

Undecided
Special Needs and Geriatric Dentistry

Undecided
Oral Health Sciences

・Research on dental health policy
・immunological mechanisms of adipokines
・Research about the mechanism of atherosclerosis due to LPS and diabetes mellitus
・Eating habits of the patients receiving periodontal maintenance / SPT
・Relationship between oral function and general status in elderly person/medically compromised patient
・Investigation of the international education for dental hygienists
・Research on rehabilitations for dysphagia
Health Promotion Sciences ・Activity of prefrontal cortex induced by visually guided direction-selective tongue-protrusion task
・Research in implementation of entry-level university education
・Policy research concerning dental health maintenance and treatment
・Research in medical and health care insurance systems
・Research in occupational health system

Master’s Course（Oral Health Sciences）Course Term: 2 years

Primary Research Topics

● Research to clarify regional health issues concerning oral health care by understanding actual conditions of dental diseases and dental health care management at hospitals, facilities for the elderly, and at locations that provide regional dental health care, such as public health centers, municipal health centers, schools, and businesses

● Practical research on dental hygiene activities for lifelong oral health care management

● Research using cellular and molecular biology techniques and epidemiologic techniques to investigate immune response changes in abnormal energy metabolic states such as metabolic syndrome, especially the effects of various types of adipokines on immune cells

● Clinical and practical research regarding oral function improvement and eating and swallowing rehabilitations in accordance with various fields, life stages, and lifestyles*

● Basic research using molecular biology techniques, and clinical or epidemiological investigative study using epidemiologic techniques considered necessary to keep dental, oral, and overall body health, such as the development, maintenance, and recovery of eating functions, prevention of dental caries, prevention of lifestyle diseases causing dysphagia and conditions requiring care, and prevention of undernutrition potentially caused by oral complications

● Investigative research on thinking processes and multidisciplinary collaboration necessary for oral management during acute, convalescence, and maintenance phases*

● Research on patient-reported outcome (PRO) related to oral health

●Research on the effects of intervention in the oral function management with regards to end of life care*

  • *Those engaging in clinical research must possess necessary medical qualifications to practice medicine (as a dentist, dental hygienist, nurse, etc.).

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