大学案内｜ABOUT MDU

　Development of a device to measure the power required to pucker the lips from multiple directions by Professor Masuda of the Oral and Maxillofacial Biology course of the MDU Graduate School of Oral Medicine has been completed. Professor Masuda held a press conference in the 30th Anniversary Building of Matsumoto Dental University (MDU) on Friday July 14th. This device has been developed in collaboration with a plastic forming company called Prosceed in Shiojiri. The device enables accurate measurement of the power required to pucker the lips from various directions and is expected to be used for many kinds of research into oral functions such as mastication and enunciation.

　Preparation for early exposure training was provided in the lecture hall building on Tuesday July 18th. Early exposure training is part of the freshmen's Introduction to Dentistry II course. Students were separated into groups of eight or nine and they practiced assisting with tooth brushing and helping patients move from wheelchair to bed, working with each other. Freshmen wanting early exposure training will visit the MDU Hospital and welfare establishments in Nagano Prefecture during the summer break to inspect clinical sites and provide assistance.

　The 62nd academic meeting of the Matsumoto Dental University Association (general assembly) was held in the lecture hall building on Saturday July 1st. The results of five clinical and basic medicine research programs were announced.

　A one-day university trial was offered to prospective students of the dental department on Saturday July 22nd. About forty people attended the trial, comprising prospective students of dentistry and their parents. They participated in a mock class, toured the university and received advice on entering MDU.

　The 22nd regular meeting of the Alexander Discipline International Study Club was held in Kyoto on Wednesday June 28th. Mr. Usui, an assistant in Orthodontics, presented a lecture titled "Centrifugal movement of the mandibular molars using exterior fixing equipment".

　A cheering assembly for students participating in the 38th All Japan Dental University Student Summer Sports Tournament was held on Thursday July 6th. A total of 355 MDU students will participate in 15 tournaments.

　The subsidies MDU receives for scientific research have risen every year. This fiscal year, subsidies reached the highest ever at ?144,400,000, putting MDU in 37th place among all private universities in Japan.

　The 84th meeting of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) took place in the state of Queensland, Australia, from Wednesday June 28th to Saturday July 1st. This is one of the largest international academic meetings, with 2,600 presentations this year. Three MDU postgraduate school students, Hiroko Naramoto, Kozaburo Hashii and Hideyuki Koike, gave poster presentations.

　The MDU Association and MDU's Dentistry for the Handicapped course held the 6th seminar on dysphagia (eating and swallowing disorders) on Wednesday July 12th. The guest speaker was Professor Baba of the Faculty of Rehabilitation of Fujita Health University. The seminar was held in the main conference room in MDU's 30th Anniversary Building. About sixty people attended, consisting of doctors, dentists, nurses, speech therapists, hearing therapists and occupational therapists.

　Four months have passed since freshmen took up residence in Campus Inn. Dormitory tutors are now able to provide advice based on an understanding of the personality and way of thinking of each individual student. The tutors started interviewing the students they are responsible for in June and are striving to give as much advice as possible on lifestyle and studying.