September’s Chapter of the Month: Japan

Launched in 2018, the ACFF Japan Chapter is based in Tokyo, and co-chaired by Professor Mikako Hayashi, and Professor Nobuhiro Hanada.

Japan has made great strides in the dental and oral health sectors in the last few decades. A key factor driving this is government recognition of oral health promotion as vital for a long and healthy life. The Japanese government set a target of 80:20, where, at the age of 80, members of the Japanese population should have at least 20 natural teeth remaining. Additionally, the Japanese Society for Oral Health has a higher ambition of ‘Through Life 28’ which aims to help the Japanese population maintain 28 teeth throughout their life to achieve the best quality of life. The National Oral Health survey in 2016 revealed that more than half of those aged 75 and over had successfully maintained more than 20 of their teeth.

The ACFF Japan Chapter is in a unique position to promote oral health because of its membership which includes clinicians and hygienists on the front line, along with leading researchers, educators, many of whom are also practising clinicians, and government officials who set policy.

The Japan Chapter decided their best and most long-lasting contribution was to develop the International Caries Classification Management System (ICCMS) e-learning platform into Japanese, for use both in universities, and dental practices. The Chapter identified the need for a Japanese version of the e-learning platform, and took the initiative to do this by seeking out local support to develop the platform for Japanese oral health professionals.

During the platform’s development, many people assisted with the project. The Japan Chapter and the Japan Health Care Dental Association (JHCDA), with more than 1,000 general practitioners, agreed to promote patient’s oral health based on the principles of modern cariology. The JHCDA provided clinical images of carious lesions to bring the e-learning platform to life, and is going to offer additional clinical cases to enhance the case reports.

This winter, the Japan Chapter will host a workshop to introduce the ICCMS e-learning into undergraduate dental education. Educators from all 29 Japanese dental schools will be invited to the workshop to discuss how best to use the e-learning platform in dental education. The Japan Dental Hygienists’ Association has decided to use the ICCMS e-learning platform as an essential education material needed to qualify as a specialist in caries management.

ACFF Global would like to congratulate the Japan Chapter for their achievements, and say a big thank you to all those involved for their hard work, and dedication to achieving a cavity-free future.