THE NIPPON DENTAL UNIVERSITY

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  The Nippon Dental University Hospital

The dental hospital was set up in December 1907, following the establishment of Kyoritsu Dental School. Later, the hospital's name was changed to the Nippon Dental University Dental Hospital. In October 1988, the construction of the new building was completed.

The hospital has departments for General Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental Anesthesiology, General Medicine, and Surgery.

In the Medical Examination Center are clinics for Implants, Psychosomatic Dental Problems, Jaw Articulation, Oral Tumors, Jaw Deformities, Oral Care and Rehabilitation for Medically Compromised and Handicapped Patients, as well as clinics for check-ups and for Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Additional facilities for internal medicine, surgery, and inpatients' treatment allow it to function as a comprehensive hospital. These unique features enable the treatment of patients and the training of future dentists to be pursued simultaneously, and the hands-on training of students is an essential part of the clinical practice curriculum.

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  The Nippon Dental University Niigata Hospital

The Dental Hospital has such departments as the Comprehensive Dental Care Unit, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental Anesthesiology, and Overall Physical Monitoring, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, and Radiology.

In the Medical Examination Center, there are the Disabled Children's Center, the Special Patients' Care Center, the Oral Implant Center, and the Clinic for Snoring. In the Special Outpatient Center, there are the Clinic for Teeth Whitening, the Clinic for Periodontic Care, the Clinic for Sports Dentistry, the Clinic for Breath Odor, the Clinic for Jaw Articulation, the Clinic for Dry Mouth Treatment, the Clinic for Dental Allergy, the Clinic for Tranquilization, and the Clinic for Jaw Reform and Bite Adjustment. The Dental Hospital functions as a comprehensive medical facility for the teeth, the jaw, and oral and maxillofacial treatments, with fifty beds for inpatients.

In addition, the Hospital has long provided dental care through home visits, and in this and other ways has played a role in maintaining the health of the regional community.

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  The Nippon Dental University Medical Hospital

At the School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, in order to merge dentistry and medicine, student medical training is carried out at the Medical Hospital, in addition to lectures on general medicine. This outstanding feature is not seen at other dental universities.

The Medical Hospital has 50 beds, a digestive system internal medicine department, a digestive system surgery department, and mouth, throat, and nose department, all which form part of the clinical training curriculum.

In all research, a close connection is maintained with other universities, private organizations, and private industries that are working at the most advanced levels, and multifaceted technical cooperation and collaborative research is being pursued.

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  The Nippon Dental University College at Tokyo

In recent years, along with changes in the social environment, particularly the aging population and the increase in numbers of people acquiring higher education, dental treatment has seen a structural change with the introduction of the integrated medical team. Accordingly, there is a growing demand for specialized technicians with a wide knowledge of general medicine.

In response to the demand for highly trained dental technicians and dental health carers, the Junior College at Tokyo was established in 2005 as a junior college affiliated with the Nippon Dental University.

The college emphasizes the importance of self-improvement through academic research and offers programs to encourage students to learn specialized skills and knowledge and to develop their full potential. In April 2006, a postgraduate course was inaugurated.

With the collaboration of the staff of the Nippon Dental University and its affiliated hospital, the Junior College aims to provide the educational environment needed for acquiring professional skills and the mental attitudes essential in providing dental treatment.

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  The Nippon Dental University College at Niigata

The Affiliated School of Dental Hygiene at Niigata, founded in April 1983, was upgraded to become a junior college with a Dental Hygiene Course four years later.

During their three years of study, in addition to the various general courses expected of junior colleges, students receive ample training in specialized subjects under the guidance of the fine teaching staff. The clinical practice in the latter part of the course is undertaken in the Dental Hospital using the most up-to-date equipment and provides a firm basis of knowledge under the direction of the excellent specialist dentists and hygienists of the dental faculty. In this way students achieve a concentrated and sure level of skills, habits, and approach.

In 1997, a postgraduate course was set up, and in 1998 a course to gain qualification as a "home helper" was introduced to allow dental hygienists to contribute to medical welfare services. In this way, the scope of graduate activities is steadily increasing.

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  Research Center for Odontology

The Research Center for Odontology consists of six facilities: EPMA, X-ray analysis, electron microscopy, isotopic research, multipurpose research, and biochemistry. In life dentistry medicine, not only the mouth and surrounding areas are subjects of research, but the whole body made up of both soft and hard structures.
In order to continue leading the world in conducting outstanding research, there is a need for highly specialized research facilities such as found at the Research Center for Odontology, which enable integrated, highly efficient research. The level of research at the Center improved dramatically after the radical restructuring carried out in 1999. Today, a great many of the Center's researchers in medical dentistry are at the leading edge of research and doing work of international importance. The Center strongly supports the efforts of all these researchers so that they can fully realize the full extent of their abilities. In all research, a close connection is maintained with other universities, private organizations, and private industries that are working at the most advanced levels, and multifaceted technical cooperation and collaborative research is being pursued.

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  The Advanced Research Center

The Advanced Research Center is located in Building No. 6 of the School of Life Dentistry at Niigata. Research is mainly concentrated in two directions: the first is a molecular approach to oral diagnosis and treatment of soft-tissue disease; the other is the development of materials with improved functions and their clinical application. There are several groups, each consisting of five to six researchers under one coordinator, and in total there are fifty-four researchers under one overall coordinator. In order to promote the research, technical cooperation and joint research is being undertaken with both public and private entities

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  Research Center for Odontology

The Museum of Medicine and Dentistry was established in September 1989 on the campus of the School of Life Dentistry at Niigata. Located on the second floor of Building No. 8, the 400-square-meter area consists of an exhibition room and a conference/seminar room.

On exhibition are objects connected with medical science--and dentistry in particular--dating from the fifteenth century. Items include medical books (including many rare ones), woodblock prints depicting medical treatments, and old medical instruments.