Since the clinic was opened in 1988, we have equipped it with numerous state-of-the-art therapeutic instruments and performed over a hundred implant procedures each year. This track record of treatment is almost unheard of for a regional dental clinic.
At the same time, I have conducted many practical studies in the course of regular treatment on the links between dentistry and the entire body, and continued to address the health of patients’ teeth and their entire bodies at all times. I also regard the acquisition of new theories and techniques as part of an important activity, and have taken part in training and academic conferences in Japan and abroad on a yearly basis.

I also see it as an important role to take the knowledge and expertise gained through those activities and disseminate it through lectures and other opportunities, to provide instruction to a wide range of generations.
This is something that seems obvious to me. So long as you are a dentist, you should be naturally obligated devote yourself to study. I cannot help but to enjoy gaining new knowledge on a daily basis, and it provides considerable fulfillment.

At present I run two dental clinics in Nagasaki Prefecture, and in addition to regular treatment, we have actively pursued the introduction of cutting-edge medical techniques. But that is not all that sets us apart. We advocate unique treatment plans for the patients who visit my clinics　and stick with a style of consultation that is rarely seen at other clinics.
For example, at the reception for outpatient treatment, we take the temperature of all patients before they are examined. After that, when patients are given anesthetic during treatment, we measure their blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation, and in some cases even perform blood tests.

Why do we do all this? That is because we, as therapists, want to first ascertain the condition of the patient on the day, and because we see it as important as professionals that we conduct the best possible treatment and is safe for the patient, and which the patient is also satisfied with.
Additionally, in the course of communicating with patients, we also make a point of providing thoughtful guidance to patients much as a regular physician would. This could be things like, “You are leaning towards a vitamin deficiency, so please be careful of what you eat,” or “as there seems to be some strain on your heart, you should take off a little weight.” I believe that it is only by going to that extent that I can provide satisfactory care as a dentist.

Over time, I have seen many patients and sensed the reality of “living long and healthy with pre-symptomatic illness.”
When a person ages to some extent, they will start to deal with abnormalities such as neutral fat or blood sugar levels. However, in many cases the condition is not immediately life-threatening, and the individual is leading their daily life in very good health.
In other words, even if there is an abnormality somewhere in the body, a “state at which the abnormality has not progressed into a disease” is referred to as a “pre-symptomatic illness.”
But if that pre-symptomatic state is left unattended to, in time it will progress into disease, and will often develop into something that cannot be reversed.
For example, even if many people think “I’m healthy so everything is fine,” the inside of their mouth is teeming with bacteria and is a much dirtier environment than they can imagine.
Despite that, our saliva and gastric juices are the only things allowing us to remain free form bacterial infection. The effect that this oral sanitary state has on systemic disease is such that evidence has been reported suggesting that “maintaining oral hygiene to a high level improves the prognosis for malignant tumors.”
Conversely, if the state of the entire body is poor, it can cause outcomes of poor healing even when a tooth has been extracted. That is the how closely oral hygiene and the health of the entire body are linked.
The mouth is the entrance to the body, and a part that influences its state.
If the state of a pre-symptomatic illness can be controlled through oral hygiene, it will be possible to live out your life without it becoming serious. That is why instead of just treating teeth I have continued to provide dental care that makes various diagnoses based on the overall condition of the patient.
There are still few dentists who share this approach, but considering health insurance and other healthcare systems and the current state of the healthcare industry, it is unmistakably clear that the approach will steadily gain ground moving forward.

Looking ahead, I hope to continue appraising the overall condition of patients, working on prevention and cutting-edge treatment for oral frailty caused by advanced age, and continue to the health of many people as a dentist from this land of Nagasaki, the “birthplace of medicine.”