FAQ

About the facilities and other general topics

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Q1. What departments and specialties does the hospital have?
Refer to the following page about our departments and specialties.
Q2. Tell me how to get to the hospital.
Refer to the following page about traveling to the hospital.
Q3. Is car parking available?
Yes, but the capacity is limited (44 cars including 2 for handicapped people and one for light cars (660cc)) and you may have to wait for a long time before a parking space becomes available. We recommend use of public transportation when visiting the hospital.

Parking charge
The first 30 minutes is free of charge. Thereafter, 200 yen will be charged for every 30 minutes of parking.
Note: If you have a Physical Disability Certificate, present it to a parking attendant or at the nearby security post before paying the parking charge.
You will get a full exemption of all the parking charge.
Q4. Are there bank ATMs in the hospital?
No, we do not have bank ATMs inside the hospital.
Please use ATMs in nearby facilities such as banks, supermarkets and convenience stores around the Senzoku and Kitasenzoku railway stations.
Q5. Are nursing rooms available?
Yes, we have a nursing room on the first floor
Q6. Can I use a mobile phone in the hospital?
Outpatient clinic
As a general rule, no. Turn off the power of your mobile phone while you are in the hospital except when it is absolutely necessary to do so. If you need to use your mobile phone in the hospital, follow the rules below.

Showa University Dental Hospital
  1. Mobile phones can be used in designated areas of the 1st to 5th floors.
  2. If you need to have your mobile phone power on inside the hospital, make sure to set it to the “manner mode (vibrator mode)” or silent mode.
  3. Do not use a mobile phone if you are wearing a cardiac pacemaker or other electronic medical devices. Do not also use a mobile phone near a person who is wearing those devices. (It is desirable to have your mobile phone at least 22 centimeters away from those devices.)
  4. If you are not sure whether or not you are fit to use a mobile phone, consult your physician.
  5. We do not take responsibility for any accident or problem that you may experience as a result of using a mobile phone ignoring the rules 1 to 4 described above.
Q7. Do you have wheelchairs available for use?
Yes, we provide wheelchairs for use in the hospital. Go to the General Reception and ask the attendant.
Q8. I think I lost/misplaced a personal item. What can I do?
Contact the following if you think you have lost or misplaced something in the hospital. Items found in the hospital will be stored for a period of three months from the day they are found.

Administration Team, Administrative Support Services, Showa University Dental Hospital: +81-3-3787-1151 (main)
Service hours 8:30-17:00 on Monday to SaturdayNote: Excluding Sunday, holidays, our foundation anniversary (November 15), year-end and new year holiday season
Q9. Are there smoking areas in the hospital?
No. No smoking is allowed on the hospital premises.

About outpatient services

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Q1. I am visiting the hospital for the first time as an outpatient. Tell me what I should bring for admission.
1）Health insurance card
2）Referral issued by your family physician or other medical institution, addressed to this hospital
Note: If you are visiting the hospital without a referral, go to Q2.
Q2. Do I absolutely need to have a referral to receive outpatient service?
You can be seen by our doctors without a referral, but we recommend bringing a referral from your family physician or dentist, as applicable, to receive our service.
Q3. Can I change my appointment?
From March 1, 2018 onward, appointment changes are received and processed by our individual clinic receptions. Call the clinic directly to change your appointment.
Reception hours: 9:00-16:00 on Monday to Saturday
Q4. I have lost my patient registration card. What can I do?
We can reissue your patient registration card. Go to the General Reception and ask the attendant.
Q5. I left my patient registration card at home. What can I do?
As a temporary measure, you can be seen by the doctor without a patient registration card. Go to the clinic reception and ask the attendant for assistance regardless of whether or not you have an appointment.
Q6. I am taking other medications. Would it be all right if I start taking the medication prescribed here?
If you are taking other medications, bring your Medicine Handbook, medicine explanation leaflet or the actual pills to show what you are taking. Your attending dentist or pharmacist will evaluate the information to make necessary decisions.
Q7. What are your reception hours?
Refer to the following page.
Q8. Is there any way that I can be seen without an appointment in emergency?
First-time patient reception hours: 8:30-11:30 and 13:00-15:00 on Monday to Saturday
（First-time patient reception for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Oncology is in the morning only. 8:30-12:00 on Monday to Saturday.) Go to New Patient Registration on the first floor.

The on-duty doctor will attend to you during after-hours (from 17:00 to 8:30 of the next morning) and on days-off. However, note that service may not be available in some cases if our on-duty staff is fully occupied with attending to other critical inpatients or outpatients. We recommended calling us by telephone before coming to the hospital.
Days off: Sunday, holidays, our foundation anniversary (November 15), year-end and new year holiday season
Showa University Dental Hospital
Phone: +81-3-3787-1151 (main)
Q9. How can I make an appointment?
Call our Regional Medical Referral Center to make an appointment. You can also make an appointment for the next visit when you see our dentist.
Regional Medical Referral Center
Phone: +81-3-5498-1954
Q10. How much would my medical bill be (if covered by insurance/not covered by insurance)?
It is difficult to give an appropriate estimate as the amount of medical bill significantly varies according to what type of treatment is performed. Call us by telephone if you want to have an estimate in advance.
Showa University Dental Hospital
Phone: +81-3-3787-1151 (main)

About being seen for the first time

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Q1. I am too scared to go to a dentist.
We have a variety of means to ease dentistry-related anxiety, or “dental phobia”, including behavioral therapies, intravenous sedation, nitrous oxide inhalation sedation, and general anesthesia. See our dentist and discuss what we can do for anxiety control.
Q2. I have a chronic medical condition other than the dental problem. Would it be all right if I receive dental treatment?
Explain any other medical condition you have to our dentist when you are seen for the first time. The dentist will evaluate the condition along with your dental problem and will refer you to an appropriate medical department or specialty as required. In doing so, it would be helpful if you bring your Medicine Handbook and show it to the dentist.
Q3. I am being seen at this hospital for the first time. Can I designate a particular dentist or physician to attend to me?
No. You cannot designate a specific dentist or physician to attend to you.
Q4. Do I need to make an appointment to be seen at your Clinic for Persons with Disorders?
Due to the characteristics of many patients, consultation and examination at the Clinic for Persons with Disorders can often take a long time. Therefore, service at our Disorders Clinic is available by appointment only. To receive service in smooth manner, we recommend calling the Clinic in advance to make an appointment.
Q5. My mother is bedridden and has started to have difficulty swallowing food. Can your doctor visit us to see her?
We have out-call service for consultation and examination of eating and swallowing difficulties, which is available only if the patient’s general bodily condition is unstable and he or she has difficulty traveling to the hospital. The out-call can be made to a private home, a nursing facility or a hospital if the location is within a 16 km radius from the hospital. Contact us to see if an our-call service can be made to your location.

About dental and oral problems

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Q1. When in life does periodontal disease start? What conditions are typically experienced?
“Periodontal disease” is a collective term covering both gingivitis (gum inflammation) and periodontitis (inflammation of the general tooth supporting structure). Gingivitis symptoms are limited to the gum, and the gum can heal relatively easily to a health state after practicing effective toothbrushing combined with dental treatment. On the other hand, periodontitis is a condition where the inflammation has spread to the alveolar bone, which is located underneath the gum supporting the teeth. However, gingivitis can eventually lead to periodontitis and can be experienced not only in older adults but also in teenagers. Appropriate daily dental care is critical to prevent and control gingivitis.
Q2. Tell me about halitosis (“bad breath”). How does it happen?
Almost all of us have a certain degree of halitosis, especially immediately after waking up or when we are hungry or mentally stressed. However, there are more serious cases of halitosis arising from tooth decay, periodontitis, tongue fur or dry mouth.
Q3. My tooth hurts. Is it all right to cool it with icy water?
It is OK to cool it, but using icy water may be gone too far. Pressing a wet towel against the painful area may be safer. Contact us anyway.
Q4. Does drinking coffee or tea color my teeth?
Most tooth coloring caused by coffee or tea is external to the tooth tissue, and simple cleaning will probably get rid of it. However, excessive intake of coffee or tea may discolor the tooth tissue itself. While tooth discoloration can be caused by various reasons, but the predominant cause of discoloration is old age.
Q5. My teeth are dirty because I smoke cigarettes. Can dental cleaning make my teeth look clean?
Discoloration by cigarettes is external to the tooth tissue and can be removed with special cleaning apparatus. Appropriate tooth brushing practice can help reduce discoloration. Our dental hygienists offer tooth brushing instruction.
Q6. Is it true that drinking soda melts your teeth?
It is possible that acidic beverages like soda has a tooth melting effect. Although human teeth have a self-remineralization property, excessive intake of acidic beverages may acidify the oral cavity, which could lead to tooth melting.
It is generally believed that a PH level of below 5.5 has the power to melt teeth. Carbonated drinks like soda have a PH range of 2.2 to 3.4 and therefore it theoretically has some tooth-melting effect, but saliva in the oral cavity will usually work to compensate the soda’s acidifying effect toward neutrality. However, taking in effective amounts of soda as a primary source of liquid in place of water or habitually feeding soda to a baby from a nursing bottle might cause detrimental tooth melting.
Q7. I am very prone to mouth ulcer. How can it be?
Known causes of mouth ulcer include infection by bacteria or viruses, iron or vitamin deficiency, mental stress, lack of sleep, physical irritation of oral mucous membrane, dry mouth, and poor hygiene. It would be relatively easy to treat mouth ulcer if the cause is clearly identified, which, however, is often not the case as most mouth ulcers are caused by a combination of multiple factors. Generally performed mouth ulcer therapies are symptomatic treatments such as those using mouthwash or ointment, but they may not be truly effective if the mouth ulcer is a manifestation of a broader, more serious bodily disease. Consult your dentist or physician.

About toothbrushes and cleaning

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Q1. What kind of toothbrush is best to use? (Bristle hardness, size, etc.)
It differs from person to person what size or hardness of toothbrush is best, as it depends on the size and alignment of the teeth and the condition of the gum. There is no single ideal toothbrush that fits everybody. Consult your attending dentist or dental hygienist about toothbrush selection.
In the case of young children, the primary purpose of toothbrushing is to prevent tooth decay and therefore it is essential to have deposit on the tooth surface, or “dental plaque”, removed from the child’s teeth. Generally we recommend toothbrushes with short, hard bristles for young children. It is important that the size of toothbrush fits the size and alignment of your teeth. Consult your attending dentist about toothbrush selection.
Q2. Is it all right to use toothpaste with an electric toothbrush?
There are some toothpaste products specifically designed for electric toothbrushing with a reduced amount of abrasive elements, but there is no problem about using a modest amount of ordinary toothpaste with an electric toothbrush. Avoid using stain-removing or whitening types of toothpaste as they often contain increased amounts of abrasive elements.
Our pediatric dentists do not recommend the use of electric toothbrushes to young children. It is important for them to first learn to brush their teeth correctly with a normal toothbrush. Have them start using toothpaste only after they learn to rinse their mouth out well.
Q3. How many times a day should I brush my teeth?
More than 70% of Japanese brush their teeth twice a day or more frequently, but what is most important is not how many times you brush your teeth but whether or not you are successfully removing plaque from your teeth each day. It is ideal to brush teeth after each meal, but if that is not possible for you, make sure to brush your teeth thoroughly before going sleep.
We advise patients to practice toothbrushing after each meal. Toothbrushing before going to bed is particularly important.
Q4. When my false teeth are dry, there is some hard and white stuff on the surface. What is this?
It is tartar, just like the stuff that is found on your teeth. Tartar forms on false teeth as well as on natural teeth. Correct daily maintenance is important to prevent tartar from forming on the false teeth.
If tartar has formed on your false teeth, do not try to remove it yourself. Consult your dentist first as inappropriate attempts to remove tartar may damage the false teeth.
Q5. Tell me how to correctly maintain my partial denture.
As many dentures have a very complex shape, they get dirty very quickly and are difficult to clean. Use a toothbrush to remove food debris and deposit very carefully after use. Afterward, use of a false teeth cleaning agent is recommended.
Note that some false teeth cleaning products may cause blackening of the metallic parts of the denture. When purchasing a false teeth cleaner, read the instruction printed on the package carefully and make sure that it can be used on your denture.
About cleaning your false teeth or denture, refer to the following section about false teeth storage.
Q6. How should I store my false teeth after use?
As part of daily care, use a cleaning agent to loosen deposit and debris on the surface and then scrub them off with a special false teeth cleaning brush. Afterward, rinse with running water to wash away the cleaning agent and debris. Do not put the false teeth into boiling water or bleach, or brush it with toothpaste, as the false teeth may become discolored or deformed.
After washing, store the false teeth in water. As dryness could cause deformation of the false teeth, storage in water is very important. Also, change the storing water every day to keep it clean. For best maintenance, immerse the false teeth in a false teeth cleaning solution once every three days.

About treatment

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Q1. I am undergoing tooth decay treatment and I had a temporary white filling, but the filling came off. What should I do?
Consult us if you feel pain or discomfort after the filling came off.
Whether or not filling loss is detrimental differs by the type of treatment you are receiving. Consult us anyway.
Q2. Does tooth decay treatment take more than one day?
The number of tooth decay treatment sessions varies by the number of teeth affected and the severity of decay. In addition to treating existing decay, it is important to improve the oral cavity environment to reduce tooth decay risks in the future.
While the length of one tooth decay treatment session depends on the number and position of the teeth affected and the severity of decay, trying to do too many things in one treatment session could be stressful for young children. Our pediatric dentists limit the length of one treatment session so that it will be least stressful for young patients.
Q3. What can be done to whiten my teeth?
Coloring by tea or coffee can be removed by special tooth cleaning apparatus, but what you must consider is there can be various other factors that causes discoloration of the teeth. If your teeth coloring is a “whitenable” kind, chemical bleaching is known to be effective.
There are many tooth whitening options that can be considered, including whitening bleaches, gluing of a thin ceramic shell, or ”veneer”, onto the front surface of the teeth, and putting ceramic caps onto the teeth.
Alternatively, if the cause of coloring is discolored old filling, the tooth color can drastically improve by just having the old filling replaced.
All whitening techniques have their pros and cons, and what will be the best solution depends on your tooth condition and the desired effect. Consult your dentist first.
Q4. Tells me the difference between dental crown, bridging, false teeth/denture and implant.
Dental crown is a technique that is applied to teeth that are significantly damaged due to tooth decay or other causes. An anchoring base for the crown is built in place of the lost tooth after the tooth nerve is treated, and then the base is covered, or “crowned”. Bridging is a dental technique that is applied after a tooth is pulled out due to tooth decay or periodontitis. The adjacent teeth on both sides of the lost tooth are ground to shape and prepared, and then the dental bridge, which is a crown that covers multiple teeth, is fitted over the lost tooth and the adjacent teeth. Dental implanting is a technique that replaces a lost or extracted tooth. A titanium post, or "implant” is embedded in place of the lost tooth to serve as an artificial root, and then a crown is fitted over the post.
Modern dental procedures include various techniques such as combination of implants and replaceable false teeth, which may not exactly fit into any of the above categories. Consult with your dentist to select the best dental procedure for you.
Dental crown procedure is typically selected when a significant portion of the natural tooth is lost due to tooth decay or other damage causes. First the tooth nerve is removed and then an artificial tooth is built to connect with the remaining tooth root. Bridging is applied when a tooth is lost or pulled out. First the teeth on both sides of the lost tooth is ground to shape and prepared for bridging, and then a connecting crown, or “bridge”, is fitted over the lost tooth and the adjacent teeth.
False teeth or denture are replacements for lost teeth that can be taken out and put back into your mouth. For anchoring a false teeth or denture, clasps that hook on remaining teeth or magnets can be used. If all of the natural teeth are lost, full dentures will be the solution.
Implants replace natural teeth that are lost or pulled out. A post, or "implant”, is embedded in place of the missing tooth to serve as an artificial root, and then it will be crowned over to reconstruct the tooth.
Q5. I am considering dental implant. Is there an upper age limit for implanting?
In elderly patients, whether or not they are fit for dental implanting largely depends on their general health condition rather than the age. When consulting your dentist about dental implanting, explain your health status to the dentist as precisely as possible.
(In young patients, it is usually necessary to wait for the jawbone to fully develop before dental implants can be applied.)
There is no age limit for dental implanting, but your general health condition will be an important factor to be considered. Consult your dentist first.
Q6. I am wearing false teeth but I am having difficulty with speech. Is there anything that can be done for improvement?
While some improvements can be made by modifying or adjusting the denture, it is often difficult to achieve drastic improvement where you can speak as smoothly as before you started to wear denture. In addition to consulting your dentist, regular speech practice at home is very important to achieve best improvement.
Q7. Is it OK to use a denture stabilizing composition continuously?
Denture stabilizing compositions are so powerful that they can stabilize dentures that are not fit for your mouth and need to be reviewed by your dentist. Because of this, many denture users tend to keep using stabilizing composition without consulting their dentist.
Such continuous use of denture stabilizer can detrimentally affect the gum or jawbones on the long run or cause hygiene problems. If you feel that your denture may not perfectly fit your mouth, consult your dentist first.
Stabilizing composition can be effective if it is used only for short periods of time as a supplementary mean of stabilization and under your dentist’s supervision.
Q8. Is there anything I should watch out before the anesthesia wears off?
Local anesthesia for dental procedure typically takes one to two hours before it wears off. Because of this, your lips and cheeks will often feel numb even after the dental procedure is completed. Be careful when you eat something while your mouth is still numb as there is a danger of accidentally biting and wounding your lip while you are trying to chew food or getting burnt when you take a hot food in your mouth. Also, children often consider this numbness of the mouth amusing and might try to bite their lips strongly as a mischief, which can cause their lips to swell badly. Watch your child against such mischief until anesthesia wears off.
Q9. Is there anything I should watch out after having my tooth pulled out?
Some people may experience severe pain or swelling after tooth extraction. Avoid alcohol intake, vigorous exercises and lengthy bathing, and stay restful. As for eating, choose food that can be eaten comfortably, and chew gently and slowly.
Q10. I had a tooth pulled out and I don't stop bleeding. What can I do?
Apply two or three layers of cotton gauze to the area where the tool was extracted, and bite down on them for 15 to 20 minutes. Afterward, remove gauze and see if more blood comes out. Unless your mouth gets filled with blood only a few seconds after the gauze is removed, you will be fine. Should your month become filled with blood again as soon as the gauze is removed, call us. We have on-duty dentists to attend to you on a 24-hour basis in emergency.
Q11. I had a tooth pulled out and received stitches to close the opening, but the thread came off. Is it safe to leave it as it is?
Stitching of the opening is done to help speedy and safe healing of the wound by closing it off, but thread coming off the stitches does not necessarily mean a problem. Contact your dentist and ask for advice.
Q12. How a dental brace can correct tooth alignment?
Human teeth are very hard and deeply embedded in the jawbone. At the same time, human bones are continuously renewed every day and a little at a time. Tooth alignment correction is a technique based on these two properties. When a strong enough force is applied on the teeth continuously over a period of time, the position of the teeth relative to the jawbone starts to change as the jawbone goes through an endless cycle of intake and absorption of bone-renewing substances. The speediness of your dental alignment correction depend on how fast this intake and absorption cycle of your bones works, and there is a limit to how much tooth alignment improvement can be attained over a specific period of time.
Q13. How long does it take until my tooth alignment correction is completed?
The length of period that tooth alignment correction takes varies greatly from patient to patient depending on what treatment plan is selected. To get an idea of how long your tooth alignment correction lasts, consult your dentist, but this will be a very rough estimate as the actual speed of tooth alignment change greatly varies from person to person. You will need to visit the dentist approximately once a month until alignment correction is completed. As described in the answer to Q12, tooth position only changes as fast as your bone renewal cycle. Furthermore, the dental alignment correction procedure does not end when a good tooth alignment is finally achieved and the correcting brace is removed. When force on the teeth that has been applied by the brace is suddenly removed, the teeth will try to return to the crooked position, or “retrogress”. To prevent this, the newly aligned teeth must be held in that position for a period of time with a new, removable brace. Using a removal brace at the end of tooth alignment correction will reduce retrogression risks.
Q14. What techniques does your Clinic for Persons with Disorders offer?
The clinic offers general outpatient treatments using a variety of assisting techniques as well as intravenous sedation and general anesthesia.
Q15. I have difficulty making certain sounds when I speak. What can I do?
Our speech therapist will examine you and propose a personalized training program to help improve your specific speech issues.

About general bodily health

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Q1. I am taking a blood thinning medication. Would it be safe if I receive dental treatment?
Many people with cerebrovascular or cardiovascular conditions take “anticoagulant”, which is a type of medication to thin the blood to prevent it from clotting. Anticoagulant use must be taken into consideration when planning a dental procedure that accompanies bleeding. Be sure to tell the dentist in the beginning that you are taking anticoagulant. Your dentist will consult with an appropriate physician to decide whether anticoagulant use should be suspended. Do not stop taking the medication without consulting your dentist or physician first.
Q2. I am wearing a cardiac pacemaker. Would it be safe if I receive dental treatment?
Certain types of dental equipment are not fit for use on cardiac pacemaker users. Be sure to tell the dentist in the beginning that you are wearing a pacemaker. As many cardiac pacemakers also take anticoagulant medication, tell the dentist what type of medication you are taking, too.
Q3. I am undergoing treatment for osteoporosis which includes oral medication and injection. Is it safe for me to receive dental treatment?
Some of the medications prescribed for osteoporosis treatment require caution when planning a dental procedure. Tell the dentist what type of medication and injection you are receiving. Be sure to bring your Medicine Handbook too. If possible, it is helpful if you can let us know since when you have been taking the medication.
Q4. Is it safe for me to receive X-rays and CT scans?
The level of radiation that is used for medical examination is not high enough to cause any significant effect on human body. We limit the amount of radiation that we use for examination to an absolute minimum and can confidently tell you that it is safe.
Q5. I have dental implants. Can I receive MRI scan?
In some cases, people with dental or other metallic implants in their body are not fit to receive MRI scan. On the other hand, some types of dental implants are MRI-compatible. It is important to find out whether or not your implant is MRI-compatible. Consult your radiologist.
Q6. I am wearing a magnetic denture. Can I receive MRI scan?
You cannot receive MRI scan wearing a denture with magnetic attachment as the retaining power of magnet may be reduced. Consult your radiologist.