Characteristics of Hospital Dentistry for Hospital Patients and Differences in the Acute, Convalescent, Chronic, and End-of-Life Phases in Japan

Aim: To maintain and improve the oral health of hospital patients, their oral health must be managed. However, the specific oral health management required during the acute, convalescent, chronic, and end-of-life phases remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the required oral health management at each phase, and we conducted a multi-institutional survey of hospital dentistry services provided to hospital patients. Methods: This retrospective, multi-institutional, observational study was conducted at 10 hospitals. Data from consecutive patients hospitalized for medical treatment were collected for 1 month between January 2022 and June 2022 at each institution. Baseline characteristics were collected at the initial dental treatment. Data from each dental treatment day included the phase of the participant, the content of the dental treatment provided, and the location where the dental treatment was conducted. Results: Records of 1458 hospital patients and 3761 dental treatments were collected. Approximately 90% of patients were aged over 65 years. During the acute phase, dental examinations and administration of medications were dominant; during the convalescent phase, oral care and removable prosthetic treatment were dominant; and during the chronic and end-of-life phases, oral care was dominant. Dental treatment was often provided in the dental examination room during the acute and convalescent phases, and in the wards during the chronic and end-of-life phases. Conclusions: The results of this study revealed the differences in the content of dental treatment provided to hospitalized patients in the four different phases of medical treatment. These results could provide valuable insights for optimizing oral health management in hospital dentistry.