Dental medicine plays a large role in anti-aging medicine and it is hoped that the following anti-aging treatment methods will be implemented.

1. Saliva has growth factors and antibacterial agents important for biological homeostasis, and various other substances vital for maintaining general health. It is therefore an essential theme for the implementation of anti-aging medicine and AAD proposes various methods to stimulate salivary secretion.

2. The efficacy of nutritional therapy through anti-oxidative substance intake has been recently proven resulting in a need for doctor-prescribed supplements. The intake of these supplements is one of the pillars constituting anti-aging medicine. The Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine is involved in dissemination and education regarding anti-aging medicine and ranks supplement intake as the Third Step. The First Step is “Increase of knowledge” and aims at strengthening understanding of the causes of aging. The Second Step is “Improvement of lifestyle” as it would be impossible to put anti-aging into practice without making changes in lifestyle habits, and “Intake of supplements” is the next step. By taking blood and other tests and checking on lifestyle habits, necessary supplements can be prescribed based on EBM and this is likely to become a new role for dentists, therefore AAD is planning training programs on testing and prescription methods.

3. Maintaining a youthful outward appearance is also an important factor for anti-aging. Esthetic dentistry and implants are already widespread in the dentistry field however muscle function therapy, such as oral and facial expression muscle training, makes improvement in wrinkles and sagging possible and so AAD hopes to make this a new occupational field expansion for dental hygienists.

4. The dentistry field also has a deep involvement in heavy-metal contamination. It is becoming evident the influence on aging which dental metals and materials used in dental treatment and dentures have. The medical field is also hoping that dentists will make active efforts to diagnose and improve these conditions.

5. Genetic testing of oral mucosal cells is also a new treatment area currently under consideration for dentists. This type of testing can predict to a certain extent the risk of contracting lifestyle-related diseases, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. By combining this analysis with conventional testing methods, it should become possible for dentists to apply new preventive anti-aging medicine.

It is clear that the anti-aging medicine region in which dentistry is involved is very diverse. Close cooperation between the dental medicine and medicine fields will make it possible to implement the above methods thus resulting in a high level of anti-aging medicine. AAD is therefore actively planning training seminars aimed at the dissemination of concrete measures to achieve this.