Course for Oral Health Care Sciences

1. To provide students with a broad education and a rich sensibility

Throughout their educational courses, ranging from general to specialized subjects covering professional and practical clinical training, students will acquire the broader viewpoints, rich sensibilities incorporating a deep understanding of humanity, and the high ethical standards necessary for oral health and welfare professionals.

2. To educate creative people capable of diagnosing and solving problems independently

Graduates will acquire critical thinking skills based on scientific grounds; independent problem-solving skills to cope with the diverse needs and advances in oral health, medical care and welfare.

3. To train medical professionals with a rich international quality

Graduates will have an avid interest toward international contribution in the fields of oral health, medical care, and welfare, and have acquired basic skills necessary to practice and cooperate in international activities.

   The predecessor of this school was originally established in 1951 as the School for Dental Hygienists affiliated with the Faculty of Dentistry, and became a four-year university in 2004. By the time of graduation, eligibility requirements for the dental hygienist national examination and a bachelor’s degree for oral health can be obtained. In order to practice knowledge and skills, training at dental (medical) institutions starts from the first year, and from the second year basic practice begins accordingly. From the latter part of third year, clinical practice starts at our Dental Hospital, Medical Hospital and other various external medical institutions.
   On the other hand, in order to train research mindset and problem-solving abilities, we have students conduct "graduation research”, in which, students find the research theme independently, reveal facts, and discuss reasons for occurrence. Some of these students publish their studies in international journals during these 4 years.
   Furthermore, in order to nurture dental hygienists with a global mindset, we encourage active international exchange, such as overseas training programs with universities in Europe, the US and Asian countries in the overseas training incentive system, inter-university exchange with universities in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand and active acceptance of students from overseas dental hygienist courses. Through these, we aim to train dental hygienists with a global perspective.

“Introduction to Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice” 1st year

Problem-based learning (PBL) with oral health engineering course students to learn about professional work and interprofessional education in health, medical care and welfare, as well as to acquire independent learning abilities.

“Media Informatics Foundation” 1st year

Students use their own laptop computers for a variety of tasks some of which are to edit images and movies, create charts, and calculate spreadsheets.

“Introduction of Preventive Oral Health Care Science” 2nd year

Learning treatment procedures using specialized instruments.
Gaining the necessary knowledge and skills → Basic operation training → Pre-clinical training with simulators (mannequins).

Reciprocal Training : Students learn treatment procedures via role-playing as a patient, a dentist, and an assistant.

“Basics of Health Education” 2nd year

Field training in an elementary school.

Students learn and practice methods to support their systemic health through oral health. The participants range from children to seniors, and individuals to groups.

“Mutual training” 3rd year

In “Practice and Application of Preventive Oral Health Care Science ” and "Clinical Oral Health Care ScienceⅡ", students practice dental care assistance, dental preventive measures, and dental health guidance together.

“Clinical Training”

Students study a variety of things including dental assistance, dental preventive measures, and dental health guidance at our affiliated Dental Hospital.

“Clinical Training with School of Medicine, School of Dentistry and Oral Health Care Science Course”

Oral health care practice with the third year medical and dental students. Interprofessional education is conducted, where dental hygiene students learn with medical and dental students, creating specialists who can participate in an interdisciplinary approach to health care.

“Clinical Practice at Dental Hospital” 4th year

Clinical training is carried out on actual patients under the supervision of dentists and dental hygienists.

International Exchange Program

   The course for Oral Health Care Sciences provides systematic learning opportunities, and cultivates healthcare professionals with a "broad education and rich sensibility", "problem raising and solving ability", and an "international nature". For globalization and international experiences, many overseas study opportunities and international exchange programs are conducted for students to gain the broader perspectives necessary for establishing decision-making skills either on their own or as part of a team, to see the world with flexibility, to seek unlimited possibilities, and to find a dream for future dentistry and dental medicine.

Noda Suzune 4th year student, School of Oral Health Care Sciences Study Program in Taiwan

I visited Taipei Medical University for five days from March 4th to 8th, 2019. Taipei Medical University (TMU), established in 1960, has ten specialized departments in medical care and five associated hospitals. It receives 6,000 students every year. TMU is also a research institute and has achieved many breakthroughs and innovations. The university’s progress and growth in various fields such as education, research, and services, have attracted worldwide attention.
I interacted with students on the Oral Hygienist program of the College of Oral Medicine. In Taiwan, no qualification as a dental hygienist has been established, but at Taipei Medical University, oral hygiene is taught as a long-term investment for the future. Through my participation in several classes, I realized that the systems and challenges related to dentistry differ between Japan and Taiwan due to differences in the insurance systems and the populations’ age distributions. In addition, through the hospital visit, I learned that the water supply and electricity maintenance was different from that of Japan, and the structures of the systems were different.
During the training, students introduced us to local food and guided us to sightseeing spots. I experienced the atmosphere and smells of the local market and the tastes of different foods. It was a fresh and interesting experience. In addition to learning about dentistry, I greatly benefited from experiencing cultural differences through the five-day exchange with students at Taipei Medical University.
Through this training, I learned that dental hygienists play an important role in solving dentistry and medical problems in Taiwan, which is why Taipei Medical University provides advanced education in this field. Many of the teachers have learned from the situation in Japan, where dental hygienists have already been established, and are seeking to apply this experience in Taiwan. Many of the students were keen to learn about the experiences of dental hygienists in Japan, deepen their understanding of the impor tance of oral hygiene and become oral hygiene specialists. I have been fortunate to be in an environment where I could learn and work in oral hygiene, and I aim to enhance my knowledge and experience as an oral health specialist.

TMDU Annual News vol.13

NAKAHAMA Yuri 3rd year student, School of Oral Health Care Sciences Study Program in Thailand

IN SEPTEMBER, I visited Mahidol University in Thailand for nine days.
I really enjoyed my stay in Thailand and gained a lot of valuable experiences.
In my overseas training, I experienced and learned three major things.
The first is about Thai dental education.
At Mahidol University, dentistry students participated in actual treatment in hospitals as practical training. For example, in the practice of elementary school screening, children were given treatments that are generally performed in dental clinics in Japan, such as removal of tartar, instruction on how to use floss, and application of fluorine.
We were also allowed to participate in this training assistance. The children were very friendly and cute. I was able to interact a little with them by teaching them simple Japanese, like “Arigato”.
Second, I learned about Thai dental treatment. After visiting various facilities, I was surprised to learn that dental treatment in Thailand was at a level not much different from that in Japan, or even better. The most impressive of these facilities was a clinic that provided a large volume of dental aesthetic treatment to foreigners. In this clinic, cleaning, sterilization, and packing of instruments were performed in a single set of treatments. The clean area was managed very strictly. This can only be done because the hospital is very large, which is difficult in a small dental clinic in Japan. I imagined that foreigners would be pleased to receive treatment in such a well-managed clinic.
There were plenty of opportunities for me to speak English. Although I’m not particularly good at speaking English, I enjoyed communicating and interacting with Thai students.
Finally, I learned a lot about the cultural aspects of Thailand. I experienced various activities, sightseeing and shopping.
My favorite in particular was Thai food. I really like to try unfamiliar foods, especially exotic dishes sold by street vendors, various delicious sweets, and fruits that are not accessible in Japan.
Overall, through this overseas shortterm training program, I was able to have many invaluable experiences. I gained a lot of knowledge, so I hope that I can use that new knowledge in my future career as a dental hygienist. I would like to thank all those involved in this overseas training, teachers who sent me overseas, the professors and family members who took care of me in Thailand, and students from the School of Dentistry at Mahidol University who kindly made contact with us.

TMDU Annual News vol.12

OZAWA Haruna 3rd year student, School of Oral Health Care Sciences Study Program in Thailand

I VISITED THAILAND for dental training last summer. I enjoyed it very much and I would like to return there again. I went to many facilities during this training, including the Golden Jubilee Dental Hospital, a community health center, a school for dental nurses, the faculty of dentistry at Mahidol University and a private clinic. I would like to introduce two things that impressed me during this training.
First, dental nurses (DNs) in Thailand were similar to dental hygienists (DH) in Japan. In Thailand, most dentists work in urban areas, and DNs work in suburban areas, as there are not as many dentists there. I heard a DN’s story at the community health center, and I thought that she was doing wonderful activities for the community’s health.
These included some of the same things that DH do, including preventive dental treatment and health education for children, elderly people and pregnant women.
She also actively visited other locations such as schools and homes.
Additionally, she made great connections with professional staff and volunteers, working hard with them to promote community health. As a DNs, she can do what DH can’t. Also, DNs have the skills and ideas for promoting community health through their connections.
I think it is important to support the health of all the people in a given community.
Second, regarding dental care activities in Thailand, there are systems, designs and practices that Japan does not have, like the idea of high level standard precautions for patients. I would like to adapt this to Japan to improve patients’ health and also protect Japanese dental care workers. Comparing Thailand and Japan, the dental treatment is almost the same. The differences are in the culture, available resources and environment. I think that’s why the systems and rules are different. If we don’t know about foreign culture, we may think that Japanese ideas are correct.
By understanding the background of each country, we can discover a lot of good points and problems in both places. I felt that both Thailand and Japan are working hard to provide the best dental care to meet patients’ needs according to their cultures, resources and environments.
Before this training, I was enthusiastic to learn about Thai dental treatment, culture and values. After finishing this training, I realized it was also an important opportunity for me to think about my own values. It was a valuable experience to study in a country far from Japan.
I was glad to make good friends, too. I was influenced by them, especially their attitudes towards studying, their English skills and positivity. They helped me notice that I have to continue learning and acquire knowledge from my classes. I will stay in touch with them forever. These experiences made me strong and I would like to utilize them in my future and practical training.
Thank you for giving me this valuable opportunity.

TMDU Annual News vol.11

WATANABE Rina 4th year student, School of Oral Health Care Sciences Study Program in Korea

DURING THREE WEEKS from September 9-29, 2018, I received training at Dankook University in Korea.
Dankook University is a private university founded in 1947, and has two campus locations: Jukjeon Campus and Cheonan Campus. The Department of Dental Hygiene belongs to the Faculty of Health Sciences at Cheonan Campus.
Dental hygienists in Korea work in a similar environment to Japan. However, in Korea, the difference is that dental hygienists can take dental radiographs.
Like Japan, there are three-year colleges and four-year universities as educational institutions. So, there were some students who had already graduated from a three-year college.
During this training, I took classes with students in their second, third and fourth years. With the second-year students, I attended dental radiology training and dental hygiene practical training (fundamental practical training).
As I mentioned above, Korean dental hygienists can take dental radiographs, so there were lectures and practical training in dental radiography.
With the third-year students, I attended classes in orthodontics, prosthodontics, pedagogy, pediatric dentistry and clinical practice. Almost all the classes were taught by teachers using textbooks, but for prosthodontics, it was interesting for me to see the students in charge of making presentations, and teachers giving them feedback. I thought it was not only the input of information, but also creating opportunities for output that deepened students, understanding. The fourth year classeswere in nutrition, pharmacology, infection management, medical communication, medical insurance and clinical training.
As for trainings there was basic training, third-year practical training at hospitals and fourth-year mutual and clinical training. During practical training at the hospital, I mainly practiced preventive dentistry. I felt that one characteristic of Korean facilities was that they treated a small number of patients with great care, as the treatment was not covered by insurance.
Clinical practical training is similar to practical training; however, in clinical practical training the students invite patients to participate. What impressed me most was the detailed assessment.
Using a phase contrast microscope, they showed the bacteria in dental plaque to patients. Furthermore, each patient ,s risk management was managed by conducting highly detailed tests such as saliva volume measurement, saliva pH measurement and breath tests. I was also surprised that the rolling method was recommended during TBI because in Japan, the scraping method is standard.
During my time in Korea, I was also able to try on a Korean folk costume called chima chogori with my fourthyear classmates. They said they had also worn it for the first time, so it was a valuable experience.
Many Korean students said they liked Japan because of Japanese food, animation, TV dramas and more. During my stay, I had a truly rewarding experience and was blessed with an environment in which many students supported me and helped me in many situations. I appreciated it all. Thank you so much.

TMDU Annual News vol.11

Practice scene

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A specialist in oral health care and rehabilitation in a dental or medical hospital.

A teacher or researcher at a university or college related to the oral health care.

Graduate study related to oral health care.

A specialist in oral health care and rehabilitation at a welfare facility.

An administrator or specialist in community oral health care.

A career employee in a company associated with dental health.