JP2024095593A - Oral care support system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for specimen testing and oral care support for the purpose of maintaining and improving oral health.
[Solution] Sample testing includes tests related to oral bacteria or Candida fungi, and blood tests related to sugar metabolism. By analyzing the results of sample testing including tests related to oral bacteria or Candida fungi, and blood tests related to sugar metabolism, as well as various information about the subject, an oral care support service is provided that can maintain and improve the oral health of the subject.
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention provides a specimen test that performs a blood test using antigen-antibody reactions to detect species and strains of microorganisms that may affect or have the potential to affect the health and hygiene of the oral cavity and throat, and a system for supporting health maintenance using the specimen test. More specifically, the present invention relates to an oral care support system that performs a specimen test that performs a blood test using antigen-antibody reactions in tests involving blood collection such as health checkups, blood tests, and blood donations, and that provides the subject with information on the functional state of the oral cavity and throat and information useful for maintaining and improving the oral cavity and throat functions, thereby enabling effective treatment and health guidance regarding the maintenance and management of the oral cavity and throat health, and further provides the subject with information on the functional state of the oral cavity and throat and information useful for maintaining and improving the oral cavity and throat functions, thereby maintaining and improving the oral cavity and throat health of the subject, and further enabling the maintenance and improvement of the subject's QOL.

It is becoming known that maintaining and improving oral function is essential to maintaining and improving people's QOL. In particular, in recent years, as the aging of the population, which leads to a significant decline in oral function, is rapidly progressing, there is an increasing need to maintain and improve future oral function for a wide range of age groups, including young people, by maintaining and improving the health of the oral cavity. In order to maintain and improve this oral function, it is at least important to maintain and improve the health of the oral cavity and throat. Furthermore, maintaining the health of the oral cavity and throat and chewing have a significant impact on maintaining "independent actions" such as speaking, maintaining posture, chewing, and swallowing, and are also expected to be effective in preventing the need for nursing care. On the other hand, periodontal disease, which has a significant impact on oral health, does not show clear subjective symptoms in the early stages, and when subjective symptoms such as loose teeth and pus discharge from the gums appear, it is often difficult to prevent tooth loss even with dental health guidance and dental treatment. Therefore, dental checkups are essential to maintaining and improving the health of the oral cavity and throat, and it is important to detect oral hygiene problems such as periodontal disease early so that people can receive appropriate dental health guidance and treatment.

In this situation, the reality of oral and throat examinations is far from resolving the problem. For example, people who work for corporations or attend educational institutions have the opportunity to undergo regular health checkups, which contributes to maintaining and improving the overall health of the body, but the current situation is that the implementation rate of oral and throat examinations is low. In addition, people other than those mentioned above often do not undergo health checkups, and most people do not undergo oral and throat examinations. In this situation, the incidence of dental caries and other diseases among minors attending educational institutions has significantly decreased, while the incidence of dental caries and the number of people suffering from other oral diseases such as periodontal disease in adults has increased. In addition, as the average life expectancy increases, the shortening of healthy life expectancy and the decline in quality of life due to oral frailty are becoming problems. In order to improve these conditions, it is necessary to change the current situation in which medical procedures such as examinations and treatment are not performed unless there is a problem, but this has not been improved due to circumstances such as cost and time constraints.

Periodontal disease and dental checkups require at least 20-40 minutes for each subject, as they include tests in which dentists and dental hygienists with specialized skills visually observe the condition of the teeth, gums, plaque, and other parts of the subject, as well as tests using instruments and reagents. In order to reliably perform these checkups, it is necessary to secure a number of experts commensurate with the number of subjects, as well as to prepare equipment and tools specific to the test, such as a chair equipped with a lighting device that can irrigate the oral cavity with visible light, an environment where the mouth can be rinsed, and special tools for the test. In order to accommodate a large number of subjects, it is necessary to secure a large testing venue commensurate with the number of subjects, which is one of the factors preventing the spread of checkups. Furthermore, the cost required for dental checkups is generally around 5,000 yen per subject, even if only basic test items are performed. If dental checkups are performed on the entire population, a huge amount of implementation costs must be raised. In addition, since it is preferable to conduct them about once a year, raising the costs is a major issue. Regarding the burden of implementation costs, with the national budget and health insurance budget already in a tight spot, it will be difficult to raise all the costs. If the costs were to be borne by the subjects, it is unlikely that subjects would be willing to pay such a large amount of money to undergo regular checkups, considering that the test is not directly related to life and that personal income below the middle class is declining significantly. Therefore, even if a universal dental checkup system is enacted, it can be surmised that major challenges will be resolving and realizing the shortage of experts to realize universal dental checkups, securing the testing environment such as testing locations and equipment, and raising the large amount of funds required to implement the program.

On the other hand, in order to provide information on bacteria that are considered to be causative of periodontal disease, a test has been proposed that uses a marker to identify specific bacteria contained in a sample taken from the oral cavity (Patent Documents 1 and 2). This test can determine the presence or absence of specific bacteria in the oral cavity that are said to be causative of oral infectious diseases in a broad sense, such as periodontal disease, but the information that can be obtained is limited to information on bacteria present in the oral cavity. For example, since periodontal disease is an infectious disease, even if there are many so-called periodontal disease pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity, if they do not infect biological tissues, it does not mean that the patient is suffering from periodontal disease, and there is a drawback in that only information on the degree of risk can be obtained. Therefore, clinically, diagnosis of periodontal disease is performed by confirming the state of periodontal tissues and the degree of inflammation based on diagnostic criteria, and the above test is only performed by some dentists as reference information.

WO 2004/106541 International Publication No. 2000/039583

In recent years, it has become known that poor hygiene and impaired function of the oral cavity and throat can have adverse effects on tissues other than the oral cavity and throat, such as systemic diseases, and can reduce the quality of life, especially in the elderly. Therefore, maintaining and preventing the deterioration of oral and pharyngeal function that accompanies aging, and improving and maintaining the condition of the oral cavity and throat, which are closely related to oral and pharyngeal function, in a healthy state, are becoming major issues in today's aging society. However, oral and pharyngeal examinations are not widely carried out by the general public due to reasons such as the implementation environment and the costs involved.

In view of the above situation, the present invention has been developed as a result of intensive research, and aims to provide a specimen test that can obtain information about the oral cavity and throat that is useful for improving and maintaining the health and function of the oral cavity and throat of the public, without imposing a large burden of labor and expenses on the subjects and testers. Specifically, by implementing the specimen test and support system of the present invention in tests in which blood is collected, such as health checkups, blood tests, and blood donations, information about the oral cavity and throat is provided to people who have not been able to obtain information about the health and function of the oral cavity and throat until now. If necessary, the oral health of the subject is estimated from the results of these specimen tests, and subjects who need dental treatment, periodontal disease checkups, dental checkups, dental health guidance, etc. are estimated and selected. By transmitting the test results and estimated information to the subjects and test requesters, it is possible to realize treatment at an early stage of oral disease, to realize effective preventive measures to prevent oral disease and oral problems, and to realize regular implementation of optimal dental treatment and dental health guidance. The present invention provides a specimen test and oral care support system that makes it possible to achieve these things.

That is, the present invention includes the following inventions.
Item 1: Specimen testing using venous blood as a sample, including one or more tests selected from the group consisting of nucleic acid tests, antigen tests, and antibody tests related to oral bacteria and/or Candida fungi, and blood glucose tests and/or hemoglobin A1c tests.
Item 2: The specimen test according to Item 1, wherein the blood glucose test is a test of fasting blood glucose level.
Item 3: The specimen test according to Item 1, wherein the blood glucose level test is a fasting blood glucose level test and a glucose tolerance test.
Item 4: The specimen test according to Item 1, wherein the blood glucose test is a test for fasting blood glucose level and further includes a test for oxidized HDL level.
Item 5: The specimen test according to Item 1, wherein the oral bacteria include at least Porphyromonas gingivalis .
Item 6: The specimen test according to Item 5, wherein the oral bacteria include at least two or more different strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis .
Item 7: The specimen test according to Item 1, wherein the oral bacteria include one or more bacteria selected from the genus Fusobacterium.
Item 8: The specimen test according to Item 1, further comprising, in addition to the venous blood specimen test according to Item 1, an antigen test and/or a nucleic acid test related to oral bacteria and/or Candida fungi.
Item 9: A specimen test including, in addition to the specimen test described in Item 1, an analytical test relating to an autoinducer of oral bacteria.
Item 10: A specimen test according to any one of Items 1 to 9, which provides information about the subject's oral cavity and throat in addition to the results of the specimen test according to Item 1.
Item 11: The specimen test according to Items 1 to 10, wherein the information relating to the subject's oral cavity or throat includes any of information contained in information relating to the health condition of the oral cavity or throat, information relating to risk factors for oral cavity or throat health, information relating to oral and throat hygiene, information relating to the functional state of the oral cavity or throat, information relating to risk factors for impaired oral cavity or throat function, and information relating to recommended oral cavity or throat care products.
Item 12: The specimen test according to any one of Items 1 to 11, wherein the information about the subject's oral cavity or throat includes information about dental health guidance.
Item 13: The specimen test according to Items 1 to 12, wherein the test related to oral bacteria and/or Candida fungi includes two tests: an antibody test and either a nucleic acid test or an antigen test.
Item 14: A living body test that includes, in addition to the specimen tests described in Items 1 to 13, one or more tests selected from the group consisting of the following:
(i) Examination of the function of the oral cavity and throat and the condition of the oral cavity using image information or video information of the oral cavity. (ii) Examination of oral function using video information including the head during chewing and/or vocalization and chewing sound information. (iii) Oral diadochokinesis. Item 15: The specimen test according to items 1 to 14, further including an analytical test of exhaled breath.
Item 16: The specimen test according to any one of Items 1 to 15, further comprising a saliva analysis test.
Item 17: An oral care support system which uses information on the results of an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein and either information (i) or (ii) below to create information related to oral cavity and throat hygiene and function related to improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of a subject, and provides the information on the results of the antibody test and the created information related to oral cavity and throat hygiene and function to the subject.
(i) Blood test result information including one or more test items selected from the group consisting of blood glucose level measurement, hemoglobin A1c level measurement, oxidized HDL level measurement, and CRP level measurement. (ii) Subject information including one or more of the following general attribute information such as the subject's own gender, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist length/hip length ratio, medical history information of blood relatives, self-awareness of oral and general health condition, treatment history information, oral hygiene habits, actual information on diet, lifestyle, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits, bedtime behavior information, and psychological state information. Item 18: The oral care support system described in Item 17, wherein the blood glucose level test is a fasting blood glucose level test.
Item 19: The oral care support system according to Item 17, wherein the blood glucose level test is a fasting blood glucose level test and a glucose tolerance test.
Item 20: The oral care support system according to Item 17, wherein the blood glucose level test is a test during fasting blood glucose level and further includes a test of oxidized HDL level.
Item 21: The oral care support system according to Item 17, which includes, in addition to the result information of an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein, a nucleic acid test and/or an antigen test in blood drawn from a vein.
Item 22: An oral care support system that uses information on the results of an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein and one or more pieces of information included in (i) and (ii) below to create information related to oral cavity and throat hygiene and function related to improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of a subject, and provides at least the created information related to oral cavity and throat hygiene and function and the result information of the antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus to the person requesting the test and/or the subject.
(i) Information on the results of a specimen test, including a blood test including one or more test items selected from the group consisting of blood glucose level measurement, hemoglobin A1c level measurement, oxidized HDL level measurement, and CRP level measurement; (ii) Subject information including at least one or more pieces of information included in the subject's general attribute information such as the subject's own gender, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist length/hip length ratio, medical history information of close relatives, self-awareness of oral and general health conditions, treatment history information, oral hygiene habits, actual information on diet, lifestyle, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits, bedtime behavior information, and psychological state information. Item 23: The oral care support system described in Item 22, wherein the blood glucose level test is a fasting blood glucose level test.
Item 24: The oral care support system according to Item 22, wherein the blood glucose level test is a fasting blood glucose level test and a glucose tolerance test.
Item 25: The oral care support system according to Item 22, wherein the blood glucose level test is a test for fasting blood glucose level and further includes a test for oxidized HDL level.
Item 26: The oral care support system according to Item 22, which includes, in addition to the result information of an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein, a nucleic acid test and/or an antigen test in blood drawn from a vein.
Item 27: An oral care support system according to any one of Items 17 to 26, wherein the oral bacteria include at least Porphyromonas gingivalis .
Item 28: The oral care support system according to Item 27, wherein the oral bacteria include at least two or more different strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis .
Item 29: An oral care support system according to any one of Items 17 to 28, wherein the oral bacteria include one or more strains selected from bacteria belonging to at least the genus Fusobacterium.
Item 30: The oral care support system according to items 17 to 29, wherein the result information according to items 17 and/or 22 includes the test results of an analytical test related to an autoinducer of oral bacteria in addition to an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein. Item 31: The oral care support system according to items 17 to 30, wherein the information used when creating oral and throat hygiene and function related information for the purpose of improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of the subject according to items 17 and/or 22 includes result information of one or more tests selected from the group consisting of:
(i) Examination of the function of the oral cavity and throat and the condition of the oral cavity using image information and video information of the oral cavity. (ii) Examination of oral function using video information including the head during chewing and/or speaking and chewing sound information. (iii) Oral diadochokinesis. Item 32: An oral care support system as described in items 17 to 31, in which some or all of the test results of the specimen test and information useful for improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of the subject created from the test results of the specimen test are recorded in an electronic medical record or a database used for the health management of the subject, and are used for the purpose of supporting medical procedures in the dental and oral surgery fields of the subject and supporting the health management and function maintenance of the oral cavity and throat.
Item 33: The oral care support system according to any one of Items 17 to 32, wherein the information useful for improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of the subject includes a judgment as to whether or not dental health guidance is required for the subject and communication of the judgment result to the subject. Item 34: The venous blood specimen test according to any one of Items 16 to 32, wherein the information regarding the oral cavity of the subject includes information regarding dental health guidance.

The present invention can be implemented in conjunction with health checkups, blood tests, blood donations, and other blood tests that are widely performed among the public, and does not impose a large burden on subjects and testers in terms of environmental preparation, labor, and costs, making it highly feasible to implement on a wide scale. Therefore, by implementing the present invention, it is possible to contribute to the improvement and maintenance of the oral health of the public at an early stage. In addition, since it is possible to predict subjects who need dental examinations, checkups, dental health guidance, etc., it is only necessary to provide specialized medical treatment to only a portion of subjects at risk, rather than to all citizens, and it is possible to achieve simple and significant cost reductions while achieving the same or greater effects as when periodontal disease checkups and dental checkups are performed on all subjects. Therefore, by implementing the present invention, it is possible to implement regular examinations that have the same effect as national dental checkups, and it is possible to provide oral hygiene awareness and medical treatment accurately and efficiently to subjects who need educational activities to improve dental hygiene, such as dental treatments and dental health guidance. In addition, in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases, various information for each subject that may affect the health condition of the oral cavity and throat and treatment within the oral cavity and throat can be transmitted to medical professionals such as dentists, so that it can be used as a reference when considering effective treatment methods and prognostic care methods, and it can enable optimal guidance for each subject in dental health guidance. Furthermore, since it is possible to easily grasp the health condition of a patient's oral cavity and throat even in medical institutions that do not have oral cavity and throat departments, it is expected that appropriate measures will be taken in terms of improving the effectiveness of treatment and improving postoperative prognosis in medical fields other than oral cavity and throat.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a support system according to a representative embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a support server in the support system. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing another configuration of the support server in the support system.

Each embodiment included in the present disclosure will be described in further detail below.
The specimen described as "venous blood" in the present invention can be selected from blood itself collected from a vein and specimens derived from the blood, or two or more of these. Specimens that are not collected directly from a source other than a blood vessel cannot be used as specimens in the present invention because they may be contaminated with factors that affect the test results. In addition, it is preferable to use specimens derived from collected blood, but it is also a preferred embodiment to use blood collected multiple times on the same day. Since the results of the antibody test and the test results such as blood glucose level are compared and considered and evaluated, it is not preferable for the sample blood to be collected on different days.

The oral bacteria to be tested in the present invention refer to bacteria present in the oral cavity and throat, which are said to be of 400 to 800 types or more. The types of bacteria that constitute the oral flora vary from subject to subject, and it is known that even in a particular subject, the types vary depending on age, the hygiene status of the oral cavity and throat, systemic diseases, metabolism, and other changes. The presence or absence of periodontal disease, dental caries, and other diseases is determined during dental examinations and dental treatments, but the technology of the present invention can estimate them in a simple manner. Furthermore, once the periodontal tissue is infected, it is not easy to completely eliminate bacteria from the periodontal tissue, and in many cases, even if the tissue is judged to be healthy from the outside, if live bacteria remain in the tissue, there is a risk that the condition of the host will deteriorate or the disease will progress more quickly in the case of reinfection. The technology of the present invention can grasp the presence of bacteria in the body and the extent of the effects of infection, rather than the state of bacteria outside the body, and therefore can provide information that can estimate the risk of oral infection, such as the risk of contracting or recurring an oral infection, or the likelihood of aggravation during oral infection, as well as the presence or absence and the extent of such a constitution that makes it difficult to obtain the effects of standard treatments and preventive measures for oral infections.

"Related to oral bacteria or Candida fungi" means that the subject of the specimen test is nucleic acid, antigen, and antibody derived from oral bacteria or Candida fungi, or nucleic acid, antigen, and antibody that show the same reactivity as the genes, antigens, and antibodies derived from the above. Specifically, in the case of nucleic acid testing, it means that the subject of the specimen test is nucleic acid corresponding to each of the oral bacteria and Candida fungi that are the subject of the specimen test, in the case of antigen testing, antigen corresponding to each of the oral bacteria and Candida fungi that are the subject of the specimen test, and in the case of antibody testing, antibodies corresponding to each of the oral bacteria and Candida fungi that are the subject of the specimen test, and substances that show the same reactivity as those.

The oral bacteria to be tested in the present invention are preferably bacteria known to affect the health of the oral cavity and throat, and more preferably bacteria that may affect the onset and progression of diseases. In addition to bacteria, the fungus Candida albicans is also known to be a causative bacterium of oral infections, and is therefore preferably used as a test subject. Examples of bacteria that can adversely affect oral health include the three types of bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis , Treponema denticola , and Tannerella forsythia , which are known as the red complex associated with periodontal disease; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (formerly known as Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans ); and the orange complex, Prevotella intermedia , Eubacterium nodatum , Fusobacterium nucleatum , Fusobacterium polymorphum, and Prevotella nigrescens . (Prevotella nigrescens), Peptostreptococcus micros , Campylobacter rectus , Campylobacter showae , Campylobacter gracilis, Streptococcus constellatus, etc. Others known to have a direct or indirect relationship with dental caries include Streptococcus mutans , Streptococcus sobrinus , Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces viscosus, Actinomyces odontolyticus , and Actinomyces oris , as well as Corynebacterium matruchotii, which is known to be related to plaque formation, Actinomyces israelli , which is known to be associated with jaw actinomycosis, and Streptococcus agalactiae , which is known to be associated with invasive infections in the elderly.

Of the oral bacteria mentioned above, Porphyromonas gingivalis , a representative example of bacteria that are pathogenic for periodontal disease, and Fosobacterium, which is becoming known to play an important role in the formation of dental plaque, which has a significant impact on oral hygiene, are particularly important as oral bacteria to be examined.

In particular, with regard to Porphyromonas gingivalis , it is known that different strains of bacteria may have different drug resistance and disease progression, and that they are known to have adverse effects on tissues other than the oral cavity, so it is important to perform antibody tests on multiple strains in order to accurately grasp the strain information of the bacteria causing the infection, which not only provides reference information for medical procedures such as efficient treatment methods and methods for preventing the worsening of symptoms, but also allows the risk of diseases other than the oral cavity to be understood. In order to grasp the strain information with an antibody test, the bacteria to be detected are selected in advance, antibodies that do not substantially cross-react with them are created, and these are subjected to the antibody test. Examples of strains that may be selected include, but are not limited to, ATCC33277, ATCC53977, ATCC49417, A7A1-28, AJW4, AJW5, FDC381, Haral, HG184, HG564, HG1690, HG1691, HNA99, HW24D1, JH4, OMZ314, OMZ409, SUNY1021, SU63, TDC60, W50, W83, 9-14K-1, 16-1, and 2561.

Periodontal disease is also understood as a localized inflammatory disease, and it is becoming increasingly known that the risk of contracting the disease, the degree of progression of the disease symptoms, and the difficulty of healing are influenced in various ways by the state of inflammation throughout the body. In particular, it has been found that in patients with abnormalities in sugar metabolism, the disease may progress more quickly, the disease may be more likely to become severe, and symptoms may be less likely to be alleviated or cured through treatment. Antibody tests are tests that determine whether a patient has been infected in the past or present and are in a state in which antibodies are produced. While they have the advantage of being able to obtain accurate and detailed information about the infecting bacteria, etc., they have the problem that they do not provide useful information when time has passed since the infection was cured or when the patient is no longer infected, and that they are unable to obtain sufficient information for risk assessment. Therefore, by evaluating the blood glucose level (fasting blood glucose level test is more preferable) that grasps the blood glucose state at the time of blood collection, and the hemoglobin A1c level test results that can estimate the past blood glucose state, together with the antibody test results, it becomes possible to hold a wide range of subjects who can use the test results usefully and information that can be provided, such as risk judgment in an uninfected state or a cured state after infection, the progression and risk of aggravation of disease symptoms in an infected state, the difficulty of treatment effects, and auxiliary information for selecting treatment methods (for example, information useful for selecting antibiotics, selecting oral care methods, drugs used, and oral care agents, selecting measures to alleviate glucose metabolism abnormalities and treatments, selecting dietary habits and exercise therapy, etc.). In addition, fasting blood glucose level test is preferable for grasping glucose metabolism abnormalities. Furthermore, in order to grasp subjects in a state called "hidden diabetes" in which the fasting blood glucose level is normal but the glucose metabolism is not normal, resulting in a state of "postprandial hyperglycemia" in which the postprandial blood glucose level is higher than that of normal people, it is most preferable to perform a glucose tolerance test in addition to the fasting blood glucose level test. In addition, the glucose tolerance test is a test in which "blood is drawn on an empty stomach after fasting for 10 hours or more, blood glucose levels are measured, and 75 g of glucose is ingested, blood is drawn 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 2 hours after ingestion, and blood glucose levels are measured." Unlike a single blood glucose test, which aims to grasp the state at the time of blood collection, this is a test to grasp the state of reactivity to glucose metabolism in the living body, and approximately the same results can be obtained over a period of about one month. Therefore, in the case of an antibody test or a (single) blood glucose test, venous blood drawn on the same day should be used as the sample, but when performing a glucose tolerance test, it is no problem if the sample is four different venous blood samples drawn within one month before and after the test. Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is to measure oxidized HDL levels instead of a glucose tolerance test. As disclosed in JP 2021-004817 A, the oxidized HDL level is a simple method for measuring the risk of impaired glucose tolerance, and since it can be performed with a single blood draw, it is a useful means in that venous blood used for measuring antibody titers, fasting blood glucose levels, etc. can be utilized. In addition to being able to detect the above-mentioned "hidden diabetes," measuring oxidized HDL levels can also detect the risk of so-called "hidden obesity" and "sarcopenic obesity," in which visceral fat and ectopic fat accumulate, even though the BMI value does not determine that the person is obese. In particular, sarcopenic obesity is more likely to experience declines in vital functions, falls, fractures, and death than people with only sarcopenia or only obesity, and fat accumulates in muscles, increasing insulin resistance, which makes insulin less effective, increasing the risk of developing or worsening diabetes, so measuring oxidized HDL levels is also useful from this perspective.

There are no particular limitations on the testing method that can be used as a nucleic acid test, as long as it is a test that utilizes nucleic acids, and the optimal method can be adopted depending on the purpose of the test. Examples include testing methods that utilize multiple displacement amplification such as conventional PCR, real-time PCR, reverse transcription PCR, nested PCR, hot start PCR, multiplex PCR, quantitative PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, touchdown PCR, inverse PCR, GC-rich PCR, 2-step PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, digital PCR, whole genome amplification, and other strand displacement amplification, nicking enzyme amplification reaction, helicase-dependent amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, strand-invasion based amplification, nucleic acid sequences based amplification, and transcription mediated amplification.

The antigens that are the subject of antigen testing refer to the bacteria themselves, parts of the bacteria, and compounds derived from bacteria that have an antigen structure. When testing for antigens related to two or more bacteria simultaneously, antigen tests using separate antibodies corresponding to each bacteria are performed in combination. In this case, it is desirable that the antibodies used for each antigen test do not substantially cross-react with at least other bacteria contained in the sample. In this case, "does not substantially cross-react" means that, as long as it is possible to distinguish the presence of antigens of each of the bacteria being tested, even if some cross-reaction occurs, it is considered that no cross-reaction is observed.

The antibody to be tested in the antibody test means a protein that has the activity of specifically binding to an antigen produced by antigenic stimulation with the bacteria itself, a part of the bacteria, and a compound derived from the bacteria. Test antigens that react with antibodies include antigen peptides and combinations thereof that have similar reactivity, in addition to the bacteria themselves, a part of the bacteria, and a compound derived from the bacteria. When testing for antibodies related to two or more bacteria, an antigen-antibody reaction is used that utilizes antigens with separate antigen structures corresponding to each antibody. In this case, it is desirable that there is substantially no cross-reaction between each antigen-antibody reaction or with antibodies against other bacteria contained in the sample. Here, "substantially no cross-reaction" means that, as long as it is possible to distinguish the presence of antibodies for each of the bacteria to be tested, even if some cross-reaction occurs, it is considered that there is no cross-reaction. In addition, the antibody test may be a qualitative test that determines the presence or absence of antibodies, but it is preferable that the antibody titer can be measured, since this provides information that can be used to infer the degree and timing of infection.

Preferably, at least one of nucleic acid test or antigen test and antibody test are performed, and more preferably at least one of nucleic acid test or antigen test and antibody test are performed. Both nucleic acid test and antigen test can detect oral bacteria or Candida fungus, or fragments of the fungus, present in the test sample at the time of testing. Since the former detects the presence of nucleic acid while the latter detects the presence of antigen, it cannot be said that the test results of both are completely consistent, so it is necessary to analyze the test results after taking into account the principle of the test to be performed and the specific test conditions. Nucleic acid test and antigen test also differ in detection accuracy and test time required. In nucleic acid test, the use of a method using EMA (Ethidium bromide monoazide) or PMA (Propidium monoazide) can grasp the possibility of the presence of live bacteria. Therefore, when performing the test, the test purpose, test cost, test environment, etc. are comprehensively considered, and a single or multiple optimal methods are adopted. On the other hand, antibody tests can determine whether a subject has been infected with oral bacteria or Candida bacteria in the past, and whether the infection is still ongoing. Even if an antibody test identifies a suspected infection, the site of infection may be outside the oral region, so a simple judgment cannot be made based on the information from these tests alone. However, by combining the information from these tests with other information, it is possible to understand the subject's condition, including their infection history.

The test samples used for nucleic acid testing, antigen testing, and antibody testing may be the same or different, but the samples must be collected at the same time. Although the sampling times may differ by several days or on the same day, sampling on the same day is most preferable. If the sampling times differ, the subject's condition may change, which is not preferable because it may be difficult to accurately grasp the subject's information. It is most preferable to collect specimen test samples for all test items during health checkups and blood tests at medical institutions. The test sample for antibody testing is limited to blood obtained by blood collection from a vein. On the other hand, the test sample for nucleic acid testing and antigen testing can be blood obtained by blood collection from the mouth, throat, or oral tissue, in addition to blood obtained by blood collection from a vein. Of these, the specimen test sample used for antibody testing uses blood collected directly from a vein and components derived therefrom. In addition, the specimen sample used for nucleic acid testing and antigen testing is preferably blood collected from a vein, but specimen samples collected from the oral cavity can also be used. Samples taken from the oral cavity include gingival crevicular fluid, dental plaque, tongue coating, saliva, etc. The specimen test sample can be selected appropriately depending on the purpose of the test, but if information about periodontal tissue is to be obtained, it is preferable that the specimen sample used for the test contains at least one of gingival crevicular fluid, dental plaque, and saliva in addition to blood, and of these, it is preferable to contain gingival crevicular fluid and/or dental plaque, and it is most preferable to contain gingival crevicular fluid.

The test results of nucleic acid tests and antigen tests include the species and number of bacteria detected, their proportion of the total (ratio to the number of remittances), and the species detected in a specific strain, and can be selected appropriately from these while taking into account the purpose of the test. The test results of antibody tests include the presence or absence of antibodies derived from a specific species or strain and their antibody titers (neutralizing antibody titer, agglutinating antibody titer, etc.), and can be selected appropriately from these while taking into account the purpose of the test. Furthermore, the test results (combinations of bacterial species and their proportions, detected test items and test samples, etc.) can be comprehensively examined to make inferences about the health condition of the oral cavity and include them in the test results. Examples of patent publications that describe related technologies include JP 2009-52945 A (method of testing or diagnosing periodontal disease using immunochromatography), JP 2022-96817 A, JP 2022-96815 A, JP 2022-96814 A, JP 2022-96812 A, and JP 2017-111095 A (all technical information related to measuring antibody titers against periodontal pathogens), but are not limited to these descriptions.

Regarding periodontal disease, the possibility of disease and susceptibility to disease can be determined by comprehensively judging the results of the presence or absence of detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis , a species of bacteria called the Red Complex, the number of bacteria, the ratio of the number of bacteria to the total number of bacteria, the test items detected, the type of test sample, etc. In addition, it is more preferable to take into account the contents of information about the subject, such as the results of interviews with the subject, information obtained from various information collection terminals and the analysis results thereof, and information about the subject, such as past treatment history, because this allows for more accurate risk judgment. Specifically, antibody titers, blood glucose levels, hemoglobin A1c levels, oxidized HDL levels (evaluation of caries risk, severity of periodontal disease, evaluation of oral hygiene status: disclosed in JP 2022-171275, JP 2022-171263, JP 2022-171272, etc.), blood test items such as CRP tests, BMI (Body Mass Index) values, the presence or absence of live bacteria in oral tissues, information on the subject's awareness and consciousness of the condition of the oral cavity and oral care, the presence or absence of dental implant treatment, intestinal bacterial flora information, information related to the subject's life (information on actual oral care behavior, dietary patterns, and lifestyle patterns (preferably including information obtained using an information acquisition terminal and the results of analyzing that information), the presence or absence of smoking habits, etc.) are appropriately selected and taken into consideration to make a judgment. In these specific cases, antibody titers may suggest the presence of trace amounts of live bacteria in the oral tissues, blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and oxidized HDL blood test items may suggest the likelihood of an inflammatory reaction, and since the presence of dental implant sites makes it relatively easy for infection to occur deep in the periodontal tissues, making it more likely to develop severe periodontal disease, and CRP test results may suggest the possibility of a strong inflammatory reaction in the periodontal tissues, it is most preferable to combine these test items appropriately. In order to further improve the test judgment, it is preferable to also consider test information on bacterial species other than Porphyromonas gingivalis . Specifically, it is preferable to appropriately select one or more species selected from two types of bacteria, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia , other than Porphyromonas gingivalis , which are bacteria of the Red Complex, Prevotella intermedia , and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans , and it is even more preferable to select all of these species. Furthermore, by adding the above information to the results of a test that provides specific strain information, it is possible to provide information that is useful for selecting an effective and efficient periodontal disease treatment method. As another example, if a large number of Prevotella intermedia bacteria are detected in a test sample of gingival crevicular fluid, it suggests the possibility of having periodontal disease. In particular, if the subject is in adolescence, it strongly suggests the possibility of adolescent gingivitis, and if the subject is pregnant, it strongly suggests the possibility of pregnancy gingivitis. In addition to Prevotella intermedia , if Fusobacterium such as Fusobacterium nucleatum and spirochetes such as Treponema denticola are found in a large proportion of the total number of bacteria detected, it suggests the possibility of (acute) necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. (Acute) necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis is different from normal gingivitis in that it is accompanied by severe symptoms such as necrosis of soft tissue, rapid periodontal destruction, and interproximal bone loss, so it is preferable to detect it at an early stage by the test of the present invention and take appropriate measures.

Regarding dental caries, Streptococcus mutans is widely known as the causative bacterium, but the presence of other bacteria such as Streptococcus sobrinus , Streptococcus downei , Streptococcus rattus , Actinomyces naeslundii , Actinomyces viscosus , Actinomyces odontolyticus , and Actinomyces oris are also thought to be factors that cause dental caries, and are therefore used as factors in risk assessment. In addition, when dental plaque is used as a test sample, the relationship between the ratio (A) of the number of Streptococcus sanguinis (old scientific name Streptococcus sanguis ) bacteria to the total number of bacteria detected from dental plaque and the ratio (B) of the number of Streptococcus mutans bacteria (for example, the B/A ratio) is said to be closely related to the occurrence of caries sites in the oral cavity (for example, a B/A ratio of about 1-2 can suggest the possibility of pre-caries, while a value higher than this suggests the possibility of caries occurrence). Therefore, although Streptococcus sanguinis is not a causative bacterium of dental caries, it can also be included in the specimen testing target when the purpose is to assess the risk of dental caries.

It is known that the types of bacteria adhering to dental plaque change during the process of plaque formation. Therefore, when dental plaque is used as a test sample, the stage of plaque formation and the risk of oral health deterioration and oral disease can be predicted by examining the main species of bacteria detected. Specifically, Streptococcus gordonii , Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mitis , Actinomyces naeslundii , Fusobacterium nucleatum , Prevotella nigrescens , Porphyromonas pasteri , Veillonella dispar , Veillonella parvula , Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans , Prevotella intermedia , Porphyromonas The presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis , Treponema denticola , etc., and the ratio of their numbers to the total can be used to estimate the maturity of dental plaque, the risk of oral disease, and the presence or absence of unpleasant symptoms such as bad breath. Corynebacterium matruchotii deposits calcium phosphate within its cells, and is known to be deeply involved in the formation of tartar through calcification of plaque. As this provides useful information from the perspective of tartar adhesion and tartar prevention, it can be used as a specimen for testing when the purpose includes risk assessment for tartar and tartar-related periodontal disease and dental caries. In addition, with regard to plaque that adheres to the tooth surface above the edge of the gums (supragingival plaque), information useful for assessing the risk of caries and periodontal disease can be obtained, while with regard to plaque that adheres to the tooth surface in the area below the edge of the gums called the periodontal pocket (supragingival plaque), information useful for assessing the risk of periodontal disease can be obtained.

In addition, if Candida albicans is detected in a test sample taken from the oral cavity of elderly people, people with dry mouth, people taking steroid medication or chemotherapy, or people wearing dentures, it can be inferred that they have oral candidiasis or that they may have oral candidiasis. In addition, if a nucleic acid test, antigen test, or antibody test is performed on a test sample taken from periodontal tissue and the test result suggests a mixed infection of Streptococcus constellatus and Prevotella intermedius , it can be inferred that a closed abscess may have occurred in the oral cavity, so if the purpose is to assess the risk of a closed abscess, the specimen can be subject to testing.

In order to further diversify the information obtained from the specimen test of the present invention, in addition to the specimen test of venous blood, an analytical test on autoinducers of oral bacteria is one of the preferred embodiments. This is preferable because it allows the estimation of the proliferation state of bacteria that cause plaque formation, dental caries, and periodontal disease in the oral cavity at the time of the test, the proliferation tendency after the test, and the risk to oral hygiene that can be estimated from the results. For example, Streptococcus mutans , Porphyromonas gingivalis , Fusobacterium bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Actinomyces bacteria, Streptococcus oralis , Streptococcus gordonii, Streptococcus mitis , Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans , Prevotella intermedia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans , Actinobacillus Interspecies quorum sensing via autoinducer-2 is expressed in many oral bacteria, including Acinetobacter actinomycetemcomitans , Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans , Actinomyces naeslundii , and Streptococcus sanguinis , and it is becoming known that in some bacteria, the production of virulence factors is regulated by the above-mentioned quorum sensing.

Information about the subject's oral cavity and throat that can be provided in addition to the results of the test items is not limited to information related to periodontal disease, dental caries, dental plaque, dental calculus, tongue coating, etc. For example, information on the living body related to bad breath; inflammation of oral tissues such as glossitis, alveolar osteitis, maxillofacial pulpitis, and cellulitis; taste disorders; oral candidiasis; and regression (degeneration) of periodontal tissues and alveolar bone, as well as information useful for improving, maintaining, and managing oral health, such as recommendations for dental treatment when it is suspected that there is a possibility of suffering from a disease requiring medical treatment, recommendations for dental health guidance when it is suspected that dental hygiene is poor, and information on maintaining and improving oral health, recommendations for oral care products, and correct methods of oral care.

The present invention can also provide dentists, dental hygienists, and other specialists with information useful for dental checkups, dental health guidance, and dental treatment. Currently, most people do not visit dental medical institutions unless their oral cavity becomes seriously ill, such as with pain or swelling, and few people regularly visit dental medical institutions for the purpose of preventing oral conditions, which are considered desirable from the perspective of oral care. In most cases, it is difficult to restore the original state of teeth and alveolar bone, and the formation of severe periodontal pockets, and medical procedures for treating them are carried out with the aim of maintaining the current state without worsening the condition. In particular, periodontitis, which is an advanced stage of periodontal disease, often requires a long time before the treatment effect can be obtained because of chronic inflammation and alveolar bone absorption, so if a subject visits a medical institution only when the condition of the oral cavity has deteriorated significantly, in the worst case, tooth loss cannot be prevented, leading to eating disorders, which may cause a decrease in QOL, malnutrition, and the progression of dementia. Therefore, in oral health management, it is important to implement measures from the viewpoint of preventive dentistry, and when a person's health condition deteriorates, it is important to receive examinations and treatments from a dental specialist at an early stage as possible. The present invention can solve the above-mentioned problems by selecting people who are suspected to need examinations by a dental specialist, etc., and recommending them to visit a dentist, etc., by performing antibody tests, etc. using blood samples taken at a medical institution that performs health checkups and blood tests that are widely performed for the purpose of whole-body health management. In addition, by providing information on bacterial species that may affect the health condition of the oral cavity, and blood test results such as blood glucose level, hemoglobin A1c level, oxidized HDL level, and CRP test that may affect the inflammatory state of the oral cavity and its treatment effect, it is possible to provide information useful for selecting appropriate and effective treatment methods, etc., in treatments at dental medical institutions. Furthermore, even if periodontal tissues are diagnosed as healthy by visual observation or other tests, if antibodies to bacteria related to oral infections are detected in blood or gingival crevicular fluid samples, there is a possibility that the oral tissues are in an infected state (asymptomatic infection state) to the extent that they do not cause inflammation. In this state, people are infected but have no symptoms or only very mild symptoms, so some trigger, such as a minor abnormality such as poor physical condition or deterioration of oral hygiene, can cause the symptoms of oral infection to progress, and since the person is already infected, the symptoms often progress much faster than usual. Furthermore, in addition to the previous stage, if the person has a general condition that can affect the progression of the disease, such as abnormal blood glucose metabolism, there is a risk that not only will the symptoms progress further, but the treatment of the disease will take a long time or become difficult, so it is important to take medical measures as early as possible before the symptoms progress. By understanding the state of asymptomatic infection, the present invention makes it possible to treat the disease early and take regular preventive measures, which can contribute to maintaining and improving the health of the oral cavity.

In order to further diversify the information obtained from the specimen test of the present invention, it is a preferred embodiment to also carry out tests related to the condition of the oral cavity and the functions of the oral cavity and throat. More specifically, a decrease in the function of the oral cavity and throat is one of the factors that deteriorates the oral hygiene state, and understanding the type and degree of decrease in function is effective in enriching information related to the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat. Examples of tests related to the condition of the oral cavity and the function of the oral cavity and throat include tests that use the camera function of a mobile phone to take pictures of the oral cavity and process them to determine the condition of the oral cavity, such as the location and level of plaque, the alignment of the teeth and the state of the dentures, the condition of the cervical area (e.g., the presence and level of swelling, redness, and recession), the condition of the interdental area (e.g., the presence and size of interdental embrasures, cleaning status, etc.), the presence and level of tartar, and the location and level of tartar. Tests that analyze image and sound information during chewing and swallowing, and tests that obtain information about the motor function of the tongue and jaw using oral diadochokinesis, a method of evaluating the speed and dexterity of movements of the tongue, lips, soft palate, etc. using pronunciation.

Furthermore, it is preferable to add and consider information obtained from breath and saliva tests, as this can provide more accurate or more comprehensive information.

The present invention can also provide an oral care support system that provides subjects, employers, medical professionals, and the like with useful information regarding the health and function of a subject's oral cavity and throat, such as information related to the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat related to improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat, more specifically, information related to the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat that is useful for maintaining and improving the oral cavity in a healthy state, information to improve the oral care awareness of the subject and encourage the practice of oral care behavior and improvement of behavioral content, prediction of the necessity and urgency of dental and medical examinations and treatments, etc., and recommendations for measures for subjects who are suspected to require such measures and various associated information, information for selecting subjects who should receive dental health guidance and information such as a recommendation to receive such guidance, etc.

The oral care support system of the present invention uses one or two of the following information: information on the results of an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus; information on the results of at least one blood test, such as blood glucose level, hemoglobin A1c level, oxidized HDL level, or CRP test value; and general attribute information, such as the subject's own sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist/hip length ratio, and medical history information of close relatives; self-awareness of the oral and general health conditions; treatment history information; oral hygiene habits; actual information on diet, lifestyle, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits; bedtime behavior information; and psychological state information. The system has a support server 1 that records the above subject information, and estimates the oral health condition and risk of impairing the oral health condition of the subject using the results of a sample test such as a nucleic acid test, and either or both of the blood test result information and the subject information, creates information useful for maintaining and improving the oral health condition of each subject based on the estimated information, and provides the test results, estimated information, and the created information useful for improving or maintaining the oral health of the subject directly or via a testing business or a test requester through a network to subjects and medical professionals. Note that the information useful for maintaining and improving the oral health condition also includes the offer and implementation of the provision of oral care services and products that a business can provide to the subject. By utilizing this system, it is possible to process information on many subjects very simply and inexpensively, and it is also possible to effectively select subjects who may have poor oral health and require a specialist's examination, checkup, or guidance, and subjects who are likely to have poor oral hygiene and require oral health guidance, so that it can become an examination system that replaces universal dental checkups by taking the necessary medical measures for subjects who need them based on the provided information. The testing system of the present invention is extremely superior in that it is significantly cheaper, simpler, and faster to implement than actually conducting dental examinations for the entire population.

In preparing information related to oral cavity and throat hygiene and function, for example, antibody test results can provide information such as the presence or absence of a current infection or a past infection (since the result may be negative due to time-related factors after recovery), information on the type and strain of bacteria causing the infection, and information on the estimated risk of damage to biological tissues other than the oral cavity and throat. Meanwhile, blood glucose test results can provide information on the presence or absence of diabetes or borderline diabetes in the case of fasting blood glucose levels, information on the blood glucose level before blood sampling in the case of hemoglobin A1c level tests, and information on glucose metabolism function in the case of glucose tolerance tests and oxidized HLB level tests. Furthermore, CRP level test results can provide information on the possibility of the occurrence of inflammatory diseases in the oral cavity and throat. In addition, from "subject information including one or more of the following general attribute information such as the subject's own sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist length/hip length ratio, and medical history information of close relatives, subject's awareness of oral and general health conditions, treatment history information, oral hygiene habits, actual information on diet, lifestyle, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits, bedtime behavior information, and psychological state information," it is possible to grasp the obesity state (presence or absence and degree of obesity), which may be a factor in inflammatory conditions throughout the body, the degree of visceral fat and subcutaneous fat deposition, genetic predisposition, and factors that may affect oral hygiene. By understanding the presence or absence of various factors and their details (oral hygiene habits, dietary and lifestyle habits, exercise habits, drinking habits, smoking habits: for example, the lack of oral hygiene habits or issues with the frequency or level of cleaning skills can be used to predict the degree of risk of deterioration of oral hygiene, and the presence or absence and level of habits such as drinking and smoking can be used to predict the risk of oral disease. Other attribute information such as age, sex, and medical history is also useful for predicting the risk of disease), it is possible to grasp internal and external information of the subject in order to predict the condition of the oral cavity and throat and the risk of disease. Based on this information, the present invention can create up-to-date, individualized information related to oral cavity and throat hygiene and function for each individual subject. For example, in the case of diabetes, inflammatory diseases such as periodontal disease progress quickly, and average treatment methods are slow or difficult to cure, so information suggesting oral care methods to prevent periodontal disease and other diseases can be created. For subjects with insufficient oral cleaning or poor oral hygiene, recommended information can be created to receive dental hygiene instruction or to start early dental treatment. Information that allows medical professionals to select more effective treatment methods can be created based on blood test results such as blood glucose levels, subject information, and antibody test results. Risk information inferred from the subject's lifestyle and exercise habits, preferences, oral hygiene behavior, and physical characteristics, as well as information on various measures to reduce risk can be created. Furthermore, by verifying the presence or absence of risk increases that can be expected when the above information is combined, and creating various information on future predictions and avoidance measures that can be expected from the results of these verifications, it is possible to create information related to oral cavity and throat hygiene and function that more accurately reflects the current state of each individual subject, which cannot be obtained from individual information alone.

As shown in Fig. 1, the oral care support system according to this embodiment is configured such that a support server 1, a terminal 2 for inputting test results, and a terminal 5 for outputting information for transmitting test results to subjects are connected via a network N such as the Internet to transmit and receive various information, and the support server 1 is connected for communication via the network N to transmit and receive various information. A calculation device 3 for predicting the health condition of the oral cavity and throat of the subject based on the test results and necessary information as necessary, and for selecting and creating appropriate information for each subject regarding the maintenance and improvement of the oral cavity and throat health condition when the support server 1 cannot process the information, and a system external server 4 for obtaining various information other than the test results necessary to predict the oral cavity and throat health condition of the subject and various information necessary for selecting information on the maintenance and improvement of the oral cavity and throat health condition to be provided to the subject and for creating information content that is not stored in the support server 1 are connected via a network N such as the Internet. The external system server 4 includes a database that utilizes the My Number system, an electronic health insurance card, an electronic medicine notebook that also contains information such as health records, and electronic medical records managed by medical institutions or specialized institutions. Information on subjects, etc. can be obtained from the external system server 4 and used, and information obtained or created by the oral care support system of the present invention can be transferred to the external system server 4 and used within the system.

In the oral care support system according to the embodiment, the support server may be composed of two or more computers. In this case, the computers are connected to each other through a connection means not via the Internet, such as a local network, or through a network N such as the Internet. The connection means may be used in combination or may be mixed within the system. When there are multiple support servers, each support server can be made to perform recording, data processing (calculation), and data and system backup in an optimal manner when operating the system. When there are multiple support servers, at least one of the support servers 1 must have a function to select test results and information useful for improving or maintaining oral health, and transmit the information to a specified terminal. Since test results and subject attribute information are personal information, it is preferable to transmit and receive information about them less frequently from the perspective of confidentiality. When the location where the data of the information is input is geographically distant from the support server, the number of times personal information is transmitted and received via the Internet can be significantly reduced by recording the information in another support server 1 connected to the input terminal without using a network such as the Internet, thereby reducing the risk of information leakage. In addition, if the useful information generation unit of the processing device of the support server 1 is unable to process or is unable to complete the processing due to reasons such as processing capacity, a computing device outside the system can be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support server 1 is composed of one or more computers including a processing device 10 with a communication control unit 12 and a storage means 11. Specifically, a conventional, widely used computer device can be used, which is centered around the processing device 10 and includes a storage means 11, a communication control unit 12, and an input operation means (not shown) such as a pointing device, keyboard, or display.

The processing device 10 is mainly composed of a CPU such as a microprocessor, and has a memory unit consisting of RAM and ROM (not shown) in which programs and processing data that define the procedures for various processing operations are stored. The storage means 11 can be selected from memory inside or outside the support server 1, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a removable disk exchange system (RDX), a redundant array of indefinite disks (RAID), etc. The contents of some or all of the storage unit may be stored in the memory or hard disk of another computer that is communicatively connected to the support server 1.

The processing device 10 is broadly divided into two functional parts: an "information collection and recording function" that acquires information necessary for the operation of the system and stores it in the storage means of a designated support server, and an "information generation and transmission function" that acquires information necessary for generating test result information to be provided to each subject and information useful for improving or maintaining the oral health of the subject from the recording means, creates useful information, and transmits the information to the terminal 5 that outputs it. Specifically, each piece of information to be recorded is input from the terminal 2 sequentially at the stage when the information to be input is obtained and recorded in the recording means. In this case, for example, if there are multiple support servers, it is possible to specify a recording means for recording information for each information item to be input, or to specify a recording means for recording information on a subject-by-subject basis. It is desirable to adopt an optimal method from the viewpoint of convenience of the "information generation and transmission function" that utilizes the recorded information and prevention of information leakage. When providing information to a subject, the test results to be provided and information useful for improving or maintaining the oral health of the subject as necessary are generated, and the information is sent to the terminal 5 in a consolidated manner. In the terminal 5, not only displaying and printing on a display, but also transferring information to a computer, smartphone, recording medium, etc. owned by the subject through the terminal 5 is also included. In this case, the terminal 5 of the support system is a computer owned by the subject or a terminal for acquiring information, and information can be sent directly from the support server to the terminal 5, i.e., the computer owned by the subject.

In generating information useful for improving or maintaining the oral and pharyngeal health of a subject, the information is generated with reference to past findings and at least one or more pieces of information belonging to one or more of the subject information selected from the following: (i) information on the results of an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus, and (ii) information on the results of a blood test including at least blood glucose or hemoglobin A1c, oxidized HDL, and CRP measurements, and/or (iii) information on general attributes such as the subject's own sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, medical history of close relatives, self-awareness of oral and general health, treatment history, oral hygiene habits, actual information on diet, lifestyle, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits, bedtime behavior, and psychological state. The subject information listed above is a matter that has been pointed out to be related to oral and pharyngeal health, and can be useful information for estimating the oral and pharyngeal health of a subject. Past knowledge that can be used as a reference includes, for example, circumstances in which there may be circumstances that are different from those of normal healthy people in the onset and treatment of oral diseases, and circumstances that theoretically cannot be denied as being related to the health of the oral cavity or throat, and the test results are examined after creating unique judgment schemes and criteria. For example, nucleic acid tests and antigen tests are tests that may suggest the presence of live bacteria or parts of bacterial bodies, etc., and are examined together with the origin of the test sample. If the test results suggest the presence of live bacteria or parts of bacterial bodies, etc., and the antibody test is positive, it can be inferred that there is a high risk of inflammatory disease at the time of blood collection. In the case of test samples taken from the oral cavity, the need for prevention or treatment, the possibility of disease onset, and an estimate of the subject's risk of onset can be understood from knowledge of the relationship between the bacteria detected in the test and the health state of the oral cavity and throat. In addition, blood glucose levels (including fasting blood glucose levels and glucose load blood glucose levels), hemoglobin A1c levels, and oxidized HDL levels are blood indices that can determine the presence or absence and the degree of abnormalities in the subject's glucose metabolism, but they are known to affect the incidence and effectiveness of treatment of inflammatory oral diseases such as periodontitis. In addition, the CRP test provides significant information for predicting the presence or absence of inflammation in oral tissues. By considering these in combination, it is possible to create more meaningful information. For example, if there is an abnormality in glucose metabolism, the antibody test result is positive, and the CRP test predicts the presence of inflammation, it is determined that there is a risk that the symptoms of the inflammatory disease will progress quickly or that treatment will be difficult, and that the subject should promptly visit a medical institution, and recommendation information can be created so that medical professionals can determine the presence or absence of the disease and the start of early treatment. Therefore, these information can also be meaningful information in creating information related to the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat in subjects.

When there is only one support server 1, the support server 1 is provided with at least a subject attribute information storage unit that stores the subject attribute information acquired by the subject general attribute information acquisition unit, a test information storage unit that stores the test result information acquired by the test result information acquisition unit, a subject information storage unit that stores the subject information acquired by the subject information acquisition unit, and a useful information storage unit that stores information useful for improving or maintaining the subject's oral cavity in a healthy state generated by the useful information generation unit. On the other hand, when there are multiple support servers 1, the subject attribute information storage unit, test information storage unit, subject information storage unit, and useful information storage unit must be present in one of the support servers 1, but for example, multiple support servers 1 may be provided with all of the storage units, and can be freely designed according to the actual operation.

Periodontal disease is a typical disease in the oral cavity, which not only brings about inconveniences such as bad breath and loss of visual aesthetics due to gingival recession, but also causes significant tooth loss, damage to oral functions such as masticatory function, and systemic diseases such as malnutrition and mental disorders due to the occurrence of eating disorders, which are factors that lead to a decrease in QOL. Therefore, it is preferable that the single or two or more test items selected from the group consisting of nucleic acid tests, antigen tests, and antibody tests related to oral bacteria or Candida fungi of the oral care support system of the present invention include at least one or two or more test items selected from the group consisting of nucleic acid tests, antigen tests, and antibody tests related to Porphyromonas gingivalis. Furthermore, it is possible that multiple strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis may threaten the oral health state or cause inconvenience. Some strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis can be highly pathogenic in periodontal disease, have characteristics such as drug resistance that make it difficult to obtain results with normal treatment, and can be a factor in the development of systemic diseases, so information on the strains is also useful for creating more effective subject information. For this reason, it is most preferable to include test items that target as many strains as possible.

In the present invention, "the healthy state of the oral cavity and throat of the subject" also includes the meaning of "the state of healthy oral cavity and throat functions." Therefore, "information necessary to maintain and improve the oral cavity and throat of the subject in a healthy state" includes "information necessary to maintain and improve the function of the oral cavity and throat of the subject in a healthy state." Oral function is related to feeding (taking food into the mouth), chewing, formation and transport of food boluses, swallowing, articulation, taste, touch, and saliva secretion, and is a basic function necessary for people to live a healthy life in society, and understanding these conditions is very useful for the subject. In addition, since it is known to be closely related to oral hygiene and diseases such as periodontal disease and dental caries, it is extremely important to understand both the state of the oral cavity and the state of oral function from the perspective of maintaining and improving the subject's QOL.

The method of acquiring information on the function of the oral cavity and throat and the state of the oral cavity can utilize existing technology. For example, there is a method of collecting information using a dedicated terminal for collecting information or a terminal for other purposes such as a smartphone incorporating a dedicated application or an information collecting device. These terminals have the function of transmitting acquired information to the terminal 2 used for inputting information or directly to the support server 1 via a connection means not via the Internet such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, or a wired line, or via a network N such as the Internet, and also have the function of acquiring information such as instruction information from the network side. In collecting information on the function of the oral cavity and throat and the state of the oral cavity, the information necessary to achieve the purpose of the analysis is acquired and stored in a digital format, and after processing the information as necessary, the information is transmitted to the support server 1 or the like by the above-mentioned means. In addition, when acquiring information from the subject using the above-mentioned terminal, the function information of the oral cavity and throat of the subject, such as the content and control of the information acquisition operation, may be acquired based on or by using the information transmitted from the support server 1 to the terminal for grasping the state of the oral cavity function. As shown in FIG. 3, the information transmitted from the terminal is finally acquired by the oral cavity function information acquisition unit of the processing device 10, and the information on the functions of the oral cavity and throat is acquired by the support server 1 and recorded in the oral cavity function information storage unit of the recording means. The recorded information may be the information acquired by the support server 1 from the terminal to grasp the state of the oral function, or secondary information obtained by processing the information acquired from the terminal may be recorded in the oral cavity function information storage unit. Furthermore, the information necessary for maintaining and improving the subject's oral cavity and throat in a healthy state can be created by the useful information generation unit of the processing device 10 using the information recorded in the oral function information storage unit and information necessary for information processing, such as information on the inside of the subject's oral cavity and throat, subject information, and subject attribute information, and the information can be recorded in the useful information storage unit of the recording device 11.

The oral care support system of the present invention can provide useful information to workers in the department that manages the health of employees of corporations and other organizations that maintain and promote the health of employees, and to medical workers in the dental field. Currently, dental health guidance is often provided to people who dentists judge to need guidance on dental hygiene during dental treatment. However, in such cases, the oral health has already been impaired, so there is a problem that the timing is too late from the perspective of preventive dentistry, which is the main purpose of dental hygiene. Since the present invention has the characteristic of facilitating large-scale and regular implementation, by utilizing the oral care support system of the present invention regularly and continuously, such as once a year, it is possible to select subjects whose oral health is poor at a stage when oral diseases are not clearly evident. By conducting dental checkups and encouraging selected people to visit medical institutions, it is possible to realize dental treatment and dental health guidance at an early stage before oral health is significantly impaired. In addition, in dental medical procedures, detailed information on bacterial infections in the oral cavity, as well as information on the subject's overall condition and behavioral habits that may affect oral health, can be provided, allowing dentists and other medical professionals to grasp the above reference information before taking necessary measures, enabling them to formulate effective treatment plans and preventive measures against recurrence.

As described above, subject information in the present invention means at least general attribute information such as the subject's own sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist length/hip length ratio, medical history information of blood relatives, self-awareness information on oral and general health conditions, treatment history information, oral hygiene habits, actual information on dietary habits, lifestyle habits, exercise habits, drinking habits, smoking habits, bedtime behavior information, and psychological state information. This information can be obtained from the subject's self-report, monitoring using a terminal device, electronic medical records, etc. As a method of self-report, for example, subject information in a specific health checkup can be used. In the specific health checkup, subject information on medical history and subjective symptoms is obtained. Since blood tests for fasting blood glucose level and hemoglobin A1c level are also performed in the specific health checkup, if a test such as a nucleic acid test is performed using this blood sample, the present invention can be implemented without taking any special measures. Part of the medical history information and part of the subjective symptoms in the specific health checkup are obtained in the form of questions to the subject, such as a questionnaire. For example, apart from medical history, there are generally items such as smoking habits, exercise habits, eating habits, drinking habits, and sleeping habits, and this information can be utilized.

Methods for grasping and evaluating oral function and the state of the oral cavity are not particularly limited, but examples include the following. Important elements of oral function include chewing and swallowing functions. In grasping and evaluating chewing function, there are methods for grasping and estimating the movement of the jaw and tongue from facial image information when the subject is actually chewing, methods for analyzing and grasping the amount of food put into the mouth, the number of times chewing from ingestion to swallowing, chewing speed (number of chews per unit), etc., and methods for grasping and evaluating oral function during eating behavior from images of the movements of the upper body and jaw when putting food into the mouth. In grasping and evaluating swallowing function, there are methods for analyzing image information around the throat during swallowing, grasping the details of the swallowing movement state from the displacement of each part of the throat and evaluating swallowing ability, and methods for grasping and estimating swallowing function by analyzing sound information generated during swallowing. Examples of patent publications in which technologies related to these are described include JP 2021-105878 A, JP 2022-126288 A, JP 2022-74671 A, JP 2022-68486 A, JP 2022-68485 A, and JP 2022-68483 A, but are not limited to the contents thereof. Another example of a method for grasping and evaluating oral function is oral diadochokinesis. Oral diadochokinesis is a test method for evaluating the movement speed and dexterity of the tongue, lips, soft palate, etc. based on the pronunciation situation. For example, a method for evaluating the speed and dexterity (skill) of the movement of the tongue, lips, soft palate, etc. by acquiring and analyzing audio information generated when performing the action of repeatedly pronouncing specific sounds such as "pa", "ta", and "ka" within a certain period of time and grasping oral function. On the other hand, examples of methods for acquiring information in grasping and evaluating the state of the oral cavity include the following methods. Examples of the state of the oral cavity include the location and state of plaque, the presence or absence and degree of tongue coating, the presence or absence and degree of tartar, the state of teeth alignment, the state of the gums (surface color; the presence or absence and the location and degree of gingival recession; the presence or absence and the location and degree of gingival swelling; etc.), the state of dental treatment (treatment site and treatment content, the site of missing teeth and dentures), and grasping and estimating the occlusion state. Methods for acquiring this information include a method of acquiring and analyzing images and videos when opening the mouth. For example, a method of acquiring images and videos by using a photography function of a smartphone and using a photography auxiliary such as an illuminating device or a mouth opening device that irradiates the measurement site with light of a specific wavelength, sunlight-like light, ultraviolet light, or other light according to the purpose as necessary. In addition to the above, a method of acquiring this information multiple times, in which information is partially missing at the stage of acquiring information once or the information is not sufficient for analysis, by performing information processing such as supplementing the information of the insufficient part by comparing it with other information, etc., and then performing information analysis. Examples of patent publications in which technologies related to these are described include JP 2020-179173, JP 2022-171272, JP 2021-105878, JP 2022-97176, JP 2022-68486, JP 2022-68485, JP 2022-68484, and JP 2022-68483, but are not limited to the contents described therein. As a terminal for acquiring this image information, video information, or audio information, a dedicated device may be used, or a smartphone or other office automation device may be used after incorporating data collection software, but is not limited thereto as long as it is capable of acquiring the information and has a function of transmitting the acquired information to a support server, etc.

Oral functions other than chewing and swallowing can be understood using the following methods. For example, oral movement information (teeth grinding, chewing, chewing force, swallowing mouth movement range), occlusal force (occlusal pressure) and occlusal condition as occlusal functions, chewing ability, number of chews, mandibular movement ability as masticatory functions, throat movement and swallowing force as swallowing functions, tongue movement ability, tongue pressure, blood flow, etc. as tongue functions, pH and degree of buffering capacity (ability to maintain pH in the normal range) as saliva condition, saliva secretion amount, dryness of the oral cavity and throat area, calcium ion concentration in saliva, serum antibody titer of oral bacteria, immunoglobulin amount, active oxygen amount, stickiness of the oral cavity, main gas types and concentrations as halitosis condition, size of interdental embrasure (opening area), tooth surface color, number of remaining teeth, etc. as tooth condition, color and blood flow as gum condition.

More specifically, the bite force (bite pressure) of the occlusal function can be obtained by measuring myoelectric potential, biting with a piezoelectric sensor, or measuring the myoelectric potential of the jaw or temples. The occlusal state can be obtained by acquiring an image and analyzing it with AI. Like bite force (bite pressure), chewing ability can be obtained by measuring myoelectric potential, biting with a piezoelectric sensor, or measuring the myoelectric potential of the jaw or temples. The number of chews can be obtained by measuring the movement of the jaw or the myoelectric potential generated during chewing using image analysis, myoelectric potential acceleration, distance sensor, etc. Mandibular motor ability can be obtained from the myoelectric potential when the jaw is moved. Swallowing function and throat movement during swallowing can be evaluated and estimated using the Repetitive Saliva Swallowing Test (RSST), Water Swallowing Test (MWST), Food Test (FT), swallowing sound measurement (cervical auscultation), videofluoroscopic eamination of swallowing (VF), swallowing endoscopy, myoelectric potential measurement, photoelectric sensor phase measurement, etc. Swallowing force can be obtained by measuring the myoelectric potential when the throat is moved. Tongue pressure can be obtained by measuring the pressure when a probe with a piezoelectric sensor or pressure sensor is held between the tongue and jaw. Tongue blood flow can be obtained by pressing a probe with an SpO2 photoelectric sensor against the tongue. Examples of patent publications that describe related technologies include JP 2021-105878 A and JP 2017-515565 A, but are not limited to these descriptions.

The pH and buffering capacity of saliva can be measured by having the user hold a sensor device equipped with a probe equipped with a pH sensor in the oral cavity. The amount of saliva secreted and the dryness state of the oral cavity and throat area can be measured by having the user hold a sensor device equipped with a probe equipped with a capacitance sensor (impedance measurement) in the oral cavity.

The types and concentrations of the main gases that cause bad breath can be obtained by using a sensor device equipped with a gas/breath sensor nozzle and having the user blow breath into the nozzle. The size of the embrasure space between the teeth (opening area), the color of the tooth surface, the number of remaining teeth, and the color of the gums can be obtained by having the user hold a sensor device equipped with a sensor that performs spectral analysis of the light absorption pattern of near-infrared light in the mouth and by performing color discrimination through image analysis. The blood flow rate of the gums can be obtained by having the user place a sensor device equipped with an SpO2 sensor in the mouth.

In addition, the information that the subject information acquisition unit acquires from the user's sensor-equipped terminal (sensor device) that can grasp the actual care status includes tooth brushing patterns, such as the date and time of toothbrushing acquired by a switch signal, brushing time acquired by a timer, brushing area acquired by a gyro sensor, brushing speed acquired by an acceleration sensor, and brushing pressure acquired by a strain gauge or pressure sensor.

Such sensor devices include various oral devices with sensors, such as a terminal equipped with a sensor that grasps the tissue function level related to chewing, swallowing, saliva secretion, tongue movement, occlusion state, chewing or swallowing behavior during eating, or behavior during sleep, a toothbrush attachment terminal of the oral care support system described in JP 2017-60661 A, and a "GrindCare (registered trademark)" terminal for a sensor-equipped bruxism (teeth grinding, clenching) prevention product (manufactured by Sunstar Suisse SA, related patents: European Patent No. 1610862, U.S. Patent No. 8160689, U.S. Patent No. 9149226, etc.).

The sensor device can be configured, for example, with a processing device at its core, memory means, an input/output unit, an image input unit, a display/notification unit, and wireless/wired communication units, and can be a device that obtains biological information, behavioral information, and care behavior information inside and outside the oral cavity and pharynx using the sensors in the input/output unit and the image input unit.

A device with the following configuration can also be used as a means of accurately understanding dental hygiene behavior such as tooth brushing behavior. That is, the power is turned on by turning on the switch, removing the device from the docking station, or detecting movement with an acceleration or biosensor. Along with information obtained from the sensors in the input/output section, the status of the sensor device (battery level, usage time, wearing status, etc.) is transferred from each device that obtains subject information to an information terminal such as a computer or smartphone owned by the subject using short-range wireless communication (ANT+, Bluetooth, ZigBee, IrDA, etc.) via the wireless/wired communication section. When used online, the sensor information is transferred to the information terminal via short-range wireless communication, and subject information such as tooth brushing behavior, teeth grinding behavior, and heart rate status is sent to the information terminal.

As a method of transmitting the information acquired by the device to the support server 1 or the terminal 2 for inputting information, each device can be equipped with an information transmission and reception function and transmit information directly, or information can be transmitted via the subject's computer or smartphone. Biometric information inside and outside the oral cavity and pharynx, behavioral information, care behavior information, advice information, and product information can be displayed, and information such as the subject's attributes, overall health condition, and behavior diary can be input using an input unit such as a keyboard or microphone. In addition, customer information and product information can be captured as image information from an image input unit using a built-in camera or barcode reader. By transmitting information interactively with the sensor device, care behavior, the current condition around the oral cavity and pharynx, etc. are instantly displayed, and the support server 1 also displays the results of analysis and evaluation based on information from the device. In addition, the purpose is to appropriately introduce related products based on analysis data and actual usage to increase convenience for the subject.

In addition, information on the device status (battery level, usage time, wearing status, etc.) can be obtained together with the sensor information from the sensor device by receiving it using short-range wireless communication (ANT+, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee, IrDA, etc.). When used online, for example, sensor information is transferred from the sensor device by short-range wireless communication, and subject information such as tooth brushing behavior, teeth grinding behavior, and heart rate status is sent to an information terminal. Information that must be notified immediately about tooth brushing behavior, such as high brushing pressure or fast brushing speed, can be transferred from the information terminal to the sensor device using short-range wireless communication. Data on the analysis and evaluation content displayed after oral care behavior is transmitted between the support server 1 and the support server 1 via an Internet connection via a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi or a wired LAN.

For example, subjective symptoms of the oral condition acquired by user input include tooth sensitivity, sticky mouth, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing food, bleeding gums, poor gum color, bad teeth alignment, poor tooth surface color, noticeable gaps between teeth, noticeable bad breath, difficulty chewing, poor bite, and shaky jaw. Institutions that hold information on the function and health status of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region of the user include medical institutions such as dental clinics, institutions that manage electronic medical record systems, and analytical evaluation institutions that analyze user specimen samples, and this information can be obtained by forming partnerships with these institutions in advance to exchange information.

The oral care-related information provided includes problems that can arise from using inappropriate toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other products, as well as criteria and methods for selecting appropriate products, information on various oral care products (ingredients information, problems that can arise from incorrect use and correct usage, etc.), specific optimal oral care methods for a set period of time (for example, one week), oral problems that arise by different ages and genders, and among pregnant women, infants, and people requiring care, and how to prevent and deal with them, an introduction to the latest oral care-related research, basic knowledge about dentures and implants, common problems with dentures and how to prevent them, etc.

Information provided on the relationship between diet and care may include examples of problems caused by eating habits or biases, or the ingestion or use of luxury items, and how to deal with them, information on the importance of chewing and problems that can arise when chewing disorders occur, preventive methods to make chewing disorders less likely to occur, information on the importance of bite alignment and problems that can arise when bite disorders occur, etc. It is also preferable to provide information on the relationship between overall health and oral hygiene.

In exchange for providing this information, the subject will obtain information on the subject's awareness and actual knowledge without the user being aware of it as much as possible. Specifically, information is obtained from the selection history of the user's choice from a list of free services, or information required for each service provided is obtained by the user entering that information. If monitoring information is entered in conjunction with product use, a data storage directory is created for each subject. It is also preferable to register users after purchasing a product and provide product after-sales service.

The general attributes of a user that the subject general attribute information acquisition unit acquires from an individual terminal 2 or an external system server 4 that holds information on the subject include, for example, gender, age, date of birth, height, weight, area of residence, and occupation.

The health condition acquired by the subject information acquisition unit includes information acquired from the sensor device as the terminal 2, such as the jaw condition, such as the frequency and number of times of teeth grinding, obtained from an electromyography sensor attached to the temples or chin, and information on the body condition, such as height, weight, body fat percentage, electrocardiogram, pulse wave, pulse rate, SpO2 (percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation), hemoglobin concentration, body temperature, activity level, blood pressure, blood sugar level, bone density, etc., obtained from a dedicated sensor, and calorie intake, etc., obtained from a camera. Information acquired from the institutional computer 3 of a medical institution, an institution such as a health insurance or labor union, or an institution that manages an electronic medical record system includes information on the subject's health check results, whether blood donation is possible and sample test information, the type and frequency of health foods consumed, information on diseases currently being treated, the presence and type of allergies, medication information, etc.

Similarly, the treatment history acquired by the subject information acquisition unit can include information declared by the subject, as well as information acquired from an external system server 4 used by medical institutions, health insurance and labor unions, and institutions that manage electronic medical record systems. Examples of information that can be acquired include past dental checkup history, past tartar removal history, whether or not fluoride application was performed and the date of treatment, whether or not scaling or root planing was performed and the date of treatment, whether or not dentures were worn and the location where they were worn, the date they were first worn, whether or not implants were worn and the location where they were treated, treatment information (caries treatment, periodontal treatment, etc.), oral bacterial serum antibody titer measurement information, occlusion status information, whether or not brushing instruction was given and the date of implementation, the presence of specific oral bacteria (for example, tests that utilize immune reactions), the presence or absence of occult blood (for example, tests that apply the catalytic action of hemoglobin or immune reactions), the state of the user's oral flora, the type and amount of immunoglobulin in saliva, DNA/RNA analysis of oral mucosa and saliva, quantification of heparanase in saliva, quantification of female hormones in saliva, quantification of ammonia in saliva, quantification of white blood cells in saliva, quantification of tissue destruction markers such as LDH and MMP in saliva, and the type and amount of oxidative stress markers in saliva.

Similarly, examples of information on dietary habits acquired by the subject information acquisition unit include the number of usual meals, the usual start and duration of meals, and the contents of the meals. It is preferable that this information can be acquired automatically, without the subject's declaration, using a dedicated device or the like. For example, for information on meal contents that is difficult to provide, it is preferable to use a method in which photos of the meals are acquired and sent, which are then analyzed by AI and converted into information on the meal contents. It is also more preferable to acquire as much information as possible about the subject's eating and drinking habits, such as the number of times eating out, information on the contents of meals when eating out, whether or not snacks are eaten and their contents, and the contents and times of ingestion of beverages ingested.

Similarly, the lifestyle habits acquired by the subject information acquisition unit are preferably automatically input to the support server 1 from various information acquisition devices via an information terminal owned by the subject. Examples of information transmitted from the information terminal to the support server 1 include lifestyle (smoking, drinking, preferences (e.g., eating a lot of sweets)), daily activity diary, types of daily exercise, average exercise time for daily exercise, average bedtime and average wake-up time, and information related to sleep quality.

The useful information generation unit analyzes the latest and past information stored in the test information storage unit, subject information storage unit, and oral function information storage unit that can grasp the function and health state of biological tissues in the oral cavity and pharyngeal region, the actual care status, and the actual awareness and knowledge status, based on the subject information stored in the subject information storage unit, and selects and generates information that is useful for maintaining and improving the oral health of the insurer at the time the analyzed information is provided. The analysis can be performed based on a predetermined formula, such as multivariate analysis. It is also preferable to analyze past information and useful information provided in the past regarding the above information by machine learning, and generate the information after inference. Any method, such as deep learning using a neural network, can be used for this machine learning.

The useful information generated by the useful information generating section preferably includes one or more pieces of information selected from the following pieces of information (i) to (viii):
(i) evaluation information and suggestions for improvement regarding the subject's oral and pharyngeal care status;
(ii) general information on the level of functioning of the tissues in the oral-pharyngeal region, the state of oral hygiene, and the possible effect on physical and mental health of the patient of the presence or absence of oral diseases and the severity of their symptoms;
(iii) Information regarding the subject's current oral and pharyngeal condition and other possible risks to future oral health status and methods for preventing and improving such risks;
(iv) information about oral and throat care products for maintaining or improving the oral and throat function of the subject;
(v) Information about services to maintain or improve the subject's oral and throat function;
(vi) An evaluation of the subject's actual lifestyle, diet, and exercise habits, and the risks to future oral health that can be predicted from those habits, and information on methods for improving those habits and support proposals for maintaining and improving those habits;
(vii) information about sleep behaviors or remedial services that may adversely affect the function or condition of the subject's oral and pharyngeal area;
(viii) Information that may be useful for dental or medical institutions or medical professionals in performing medical procedures relating to the subject's oral cavity or throat.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these examples, and can of course be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1 Support server 2 Terminal 3 System external computing device 4 System external server 10 Processing device 11 Storage means 12 Communication control unit

Claims (18)

A specimen test using venous blood as a sample, including an antibody test related to oral bacteria and/or Candida fungus, and a blood glucose test and/or a hemoglobin A1c test. The specimen test according to claim 1, wherein the oral bacteria include at least Porphyromonas gingivalis. The specimen test according to claim 1, wherein the oral bacteria include one or more bacteria selected from at least those belonging to the genus Fusobacterium. The specimen test according to claim 1, further comprising an antigen test and/or a nucleic acid test related to oral bacteria and/or Candida fungi in addition to the venous blood specimen test according to claim 1. A specimen test comprising the specimen test described in claim 1 and an analytical test relating to an autoinducer of oral bacteria. A specimen test that provides information about the subject's oral cavity and throat in addition to the results of the specimen test described in claim 1. The specimen test according to claim 6, wherein the information relating to the subject's oral cavity and throat includes information contained in any of the following: information on the health condition of the oral cavity and throat, information on risk factors for oral cavity and throat health, information on oral and throat hygiene, information on the functional condition of the oral cavity and throat, information on risk factors for impaired oral and throat function, and information on recommended oral and throat care products. The specimen test according to claim 6, wherein the information about the subject's oral cavity and throat includes information about dental health guidance. The specimen test according to claim 1, wherein the test relating to oral bacteria and/or Candida fungi includes two tests: an antibody test and either a nucleic acid test or an antigen test. A living body test comprising, in addition to the specimen test of claim 1, one or more tests selected from the following group:
(i) Examination of the function and condition of the oral cavity and throat using image and video information from within the oral cavity. (ii) Examination of oral function using video information including the head during chewing and/or vocalization and chewing sound information. (iii) Oral diadochokinesis. An oral care support system which uses the results of an antibody test relating to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein and either of the following information (i) or (ii) to create oral and throat hygiene and function related information relating to improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of a subject, and provides the results of the antibody test and the created oral and throat hygiene and function related information to the subject.
(i) Blood test results including at least one or more test items selected from the group consisting of blood glucose level, hemoglobin A1c level, oxidized HDL level, and CRP level. (ii) Subject information including at least one or more of the following general attribute information, such as the subject's own sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist-to-hip length ratio, and medical history information of close relatives, subject's awareness of oral and general health conditions, treatment history information, oral hygiene habits, actual information on dietary, lifestyle, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits, bedtime behavior information, and psychological state information. An oral care support system that uses the results of an antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein and one or more of the information included in (i) and (ii) below to create oral and throat hygiene and function related information related to improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of a subject, and provides at least the created oral and throat hygiene and function related information and the results of the antibody test related to oral bacteria or Candida fungus to the person requesting the test and/or the subject.
(i) Information on the results of specimen tests, including blood tests that include one or more test items selected from the group consisting of blood glucose level measurement, hemoglobin A1c level measurement, oxidized HDL level measurement, and CRP level measurement. (ii) Information on subjects, including at least one or more of the following general attribute information, such as the subject's own sex, age, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist-to-hip length ratio, and medical history information of blood relatives; subjective awareness of oral and general health conditions; treatment history information; oral hygiene habits; actual information on dietary, lifestyle, exercise, drinking, and smoking habits; bedtime behavior information; and psychological state information. The oral care support system according to claim 11, wherein the oral bacteria include at least Porphyromonas gingivalis. The oral care support system according to claim 11, wherein the oral bacteria include one or more strains selected from bacteria belonging to at least the genus Fusobacterium. The oral care support system according to claim 11, wherein the result information includes the test results of an analytical test relating to an autoinducer of oral bacteria in addition to an antibody test relating to oral bacteria or Candida fungus in blood drawn from a vein. The oral care support system according to claim 11, wherein the information used in creating oral and throat hygiene and function related information for the purpose of improving or maintaining the oral and throat hygiene and function of the subject according to claim 11 includes result information of one or more tests selected from the group consisting of:
(i) Examination of the function and condition of the oral cavity and throat using image and video information from within the oral cavity. (ii) Examination of oral function using video information including the head during chewing and/or vocalization and chewing sound information. (iii) Oral diadochokinesis. The oral care support system according to claim 11, which records some or all of the test results of the specimen test and information useful for improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the oral cavity and throat of the subject created from the test results of the specimen test in an electronic medical record or a database used for the health management of the subject, and uses the information to support medical procedures in the fields of dentistry and oral surgery and to support the health management and maintenance of the function of the oral cavity and throat of the subject. The oral care support system of claim 11, wherein the information useful for improving or maintaining the hygiene and function of the subject's oral cavity and throat includes determining whether the subject needs dental health guidance and communicating the results of said determination to the subject.

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