title: The need and availability of dental services for terminally ill cancer patients: a nationwide survey in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Considering the high incidence of oral complications in terminally ill cancer patients, dental services are necessary for high-quality palliative care. However, to our knowledge, there have been no nationwide studies examining the need and availability of dental services in palliative care. In this study, a nationwide survey was conducted to clarify the need and availability of dental services for physicians and nurses engaged in palliative care in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was distributed to 436 certified palliative care units and palliative care teams registered with Hospice Palliative Care Japan. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to (1) background, (2) need of dental services, and (3) availability of dental services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 48.2% (n = 210). As a whole, 93% of all respondents indicated that dental services were absolutely necessary, highly necessary, or necessary. In addition, 94% of respondents thought dental treatment by dentists was often or sometimes necessary; 96% of respondents thought oral care provided by specialists was often or sometimes necessary. As a whole, 71% of the respondents reported that dental services were always available, but 28% reported that dental services were available only sometimes. In actuality, in 31% of the institutions, dental services were available 1 day/week or less, and in 39%, dental services were dispatched from outside the institution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study revealed that Japanese palliative care units and teams have a markedly high need of dental services, but there is insufficient availability. To improve oral complications of terminally ill cancer patients, dentistry professionals should be more available in palliative care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan. tomohisa@zd5.so-net.ne.jp.|Department of Advanced Medicine Dentistry and Dental/Oral Surgery, Japanese National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan. tomohisa@zd5.so-net.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Palliative Care Team and Seirei Hospice, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Oral Rehabilitation, The Nippon Dental University Graduate School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiyo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Medical Center, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Diseases Research, Japanese National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Oral Rehabilitation, The Nippon Dental University Graduate School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikutani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D009726:Nurses; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010361:Patients; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019452:Terminally Ill
keywords: Dental service; Japan; Nationwide survey; Palliative care; Questionnaire