• 

  For children:

  • ・Relief supplies available at emergency shelters often offer copious amounts of confectionary and pastries, and the impossibility to brush teeth leads to cavities forming more easily.
  • ・As it’s not possible to go to the dentist, treatment is also not an option, hence maintaining an excellent.

• 

  For adults:

  • ・As tooth brushing becomes a challenge, gum disease can set in and other systemic health issues, such as diabetes, may worsen.

• 

  For elderly people:

  • ・Due to the lack of proper oral care and the increasingly weakened oral function, an increased amount of bacteria can enter the trachea and make it easier to contract pneumonia.*
  • *Aspiration pneumonia

Less commonly known
disaster-related fatalities:

There are people who pass away during evacuation life,
even though they may have successfully evacuated from the disaster itself
(disaster-related death).
These situations can be avoided through preparation.

Potential risks arise when maintaining good oral care becomes
impossible during an evacuation

In times of disaster, factors such as water shortage, deteriorating hygiene conditions,
limited access to proper nutrition, sleep deprivation in emergency shelters, increased stress,
and various other causes can reduced oral functionality, thereby promoting the growth of bacteria in the mouth.
Additionally, the loss or malfunction of dentures can increase the risk of swallowing difficulties.

Swallowing difficulties can allow oral bacteria to enter the lungs, where they can proliferate,
leading to inflammation and potentially resulting in aspiration pneumonia. Individuals with gum disease who frequently experience swallowing problems are found to be at a greater risk of contracting pneumonia.

Supervisor: Dr. Ryohei Adachi,
Director of Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at Tokiwa Hospital;
Kobe City Health Department Dental Specialist

For the prevention of pneumonia, let’s brush our teeth!
It has been found that unclean dentures can also increase the risk for pneumonia.

Supervisor: Dr. Ryohei Adachi, Director of Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at Tokiwa Hospital; Kobe City Health Department Dental Specialist

The mouth is the front door to the lungs. If oral hygiene is not maintained while staying in emergency shelters and due to water shortage, older people are at higher risk of contracting aspiration pneumonia, so they need to take special care.
During the Great Hanshin Earthquake, over 200 victims died of disaster-related pneumonia. We believe that the number of aspiration pneumonia was high among the deaths.
Cleaning dentures is also important for maintaining proper oral hygiene. After eating, remove dentures and clean whenever possible. Also, remember to take them out before going to sleep at night.

Oral care also aids in preventing infection by the influenza virus. Please take care to prevent gum disease as well as to better control blood sugar levels. As snacking increases and tooth brushing is not being adequately performed over extended periods of time, the number of cavities appearing in children also increases.