About Us

Greetings from the representative director

生田図南

Hello everyone.

We would like to thank you for your understanding and cooperation in our association's activities.

In Japan, where the birthrate is declining and the population is aging, it is extremely important to support children's oral and general health, as well as their healthy mental development. However, the health of children today is deteriorating, and there is an urgent need for cooperation between dentistry and childcare.

The Childcare Dentistry Association's philosophy is to aim for the healthy development of children through cooperation between dental professionals and childcare workers. Specifically, we are working to promote exchanges between the dental medical industry and childcare workers, increase opportunities for dentists to learn about childcare, and support dentists in obtaining childcare worker qualifications. We are also working to build a system in which dentists with knowledge of childcare in the local area can work with childcare centers and to raise awareness.

We will continue to work with you to carry out activities that support the healthy growth of children, so we appreciate your continued support.

Representative Director, Japan Association of Childcare Dentistry, General Incorporated Association
Dr. Tonami Ikuta
生田図南

My name is Yasuo Fujiwara, a director of the Japan Childcare Dental Association (general incorporated association).

I am the deputy director of Ikuta Dental Clinic in Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture. I am a dentist with dual licenses as a dentist and a childcare worker.

Amakusa City is a depopulated area with an extremely low birth rate and aging population, and most patients visit us for their entire lives, so we have steadily accumulated a large number of cases of changes in children's oral cavity and the results of occlusion development, not only from pregnancy, but also after birth, during breastfeeding, infancy, school age, etc. What we have learned from these cases is that the key to developing a child's oral cavity is the period just a few months after birth, before teeth come in.

Do you know about "sensitive periods"?

This is known as the golden time, a once in a lifetime period, and it is the time when the brain and body develop the most.

The sensitive period of the upper jaw is said to be between 0 and 6 years of age.

However, due to changes in eating habits and lifestyles, children in Japan today live in an environment that makes it difficult for their mouths to develop if they live a normal life.

The number of pediatric patients suffering from oral dysfunction, speech disorders, malocclusion, and gaping mouths is increasing, and dentists are being called upon to take immediate action.
However, it is also known that children will not develop healthy bodies or oral cavity if dentists only treat orthodontics and teeth alignment without knowledge of childcare.

With 73.6% of dual-income households and an increasing number of families using daycare centers, the role of daycare workers in the healthy development of children is becoming more important. Eating healthily is also related to a lifetime of health.

Currently, there are very few experts who know about this, and almost no leaders.

For the sake of our children's future, dentists and childcare workers across the country have joined forces to establish the Japan Childcare Dentistry Association, a platform for educating children from both childcare and dental perspectives.

This association will bring together dentists, childcare workers, dental hygienists and all other professionals involved in childcare and dentistry, and serve as a place to support childcare dentistry together.We would ultimately like our member doctors to have at least one base clinic in each of Japan's 47 prefectures.

Let's learn together with our teachers and promote "childcare dentistry" that will support the future of Japan's children.

Director of the Japan Association of Childcare
Yasuo Fujiwara

Basic philosophy

In Japan, where the birthrate is declining and the population is aging, it is necessary to support the oral health, overall health, and healthy mental development of children who will be the future of the country.
Dental professionals, who play an important role in children's development, and childcare workers work together to aim for the healthy development of children.

ACTION

Concrete Action

  • Interaction between dental professionals and childcare professionals for the healthy development of children
  • Lectures at dental industry and childcare worker general meetings, etc.
  • Awareness-raising activities at nursery schools
  • Educational activities for dentists, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and other dental professionals to obtain childcare worker licenses
  • Promoting lectures by childcare instructors in the dental industry
  • Lectures and educational activities by childcare dentists for parents and children
  • Implementing projects to combat the declining birthrate and aging population and raising awareness at home and abroad based on the results
  • Establishing a dental care coordination system in each region
  • Improving knowledge of childcare dentistry among dentists, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and other dental professionals
  • All businesses related to the above

Introducing our Board Members

Representative Director
Dr.Tonami Ikuta
Vice Director
Director
Representative Director
Ikuta Dental Clinic
Dr.Tonami Ikuta

After graduating from Kyushu Dental University, he began his career as a dentist in 1981 and opened Ikuta Dental Clinic in Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture in 1984. Since then, he has contributed to local medical care for over 35 years, providing prevention and treatment tailored to the life stage of patients. In particular, he focuses on treatments that address the root cause, such as periodontal medicine, orthodontic treatment, and eating and swallowing training.

Academic activities and lectures
  • Representative Director of the Japan Association of Dental Nurses
  • Executive Director of the International Society of Periodontology
  • Executive Director, Japan Eating Support Association
  • Auditor of the Japanese Society of Oral Examination
  • Director of the Japanese Society of Therapeutic Dentistry
book
  • Recommendations for Ikuta-style Dental Care from Amakusa / Digital Diamond Inc.
  • Periodontal disease can be cured with medicine! / Gendai Shorin
Vice director
Tanabata Medical Corporation, Aozora Dental Clinic, Chairman, Dentist
Kazushi Kurotobi

A dentist and a pioneer in promoting the efficiency of dental clinic management and the use of IT.
While volunteering overseas, he established efficient management methods and is currently providing management consulting for dental clinics.

Vice Director
CEO of Sayaka Co., Ltd., dental technician, nursery teacher
Takashi Kobayashi

A dental technician, he is the representative of the MFA Maxillofacial Functional Occlusion Research Group. He has taught over 400 dentists the theory of occlusion that can improve breathing. He gives lectures at child-rearing research groups across the country.

Director
Ikuta Dental Clinic
Yasuo Fujiwara

He holds a wide range of qualifications as a dentist, childcare worker, and care manager, and also works as a nutrition education advisor for the Kumamoto Prefecture Childcare Council. He also provides instruction as a supervisor for the Japan Feeding Support Association and the Maxillofacial Function Occlusion Research Group. Major publications: "Baby Food Guide" (Kumamoto Prefecture Childcare Council), "Children's Nutrition" (serialized in the Child Development Association), and "Childcare Navi" (serialized in Froebel-kan).

director
Professor, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University
Masako Meiwa

Completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University. PhD (Education). Member of the Council for Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Associate Member of the Science Council of Japan, Ad Hoc Member of the Council for Children and Families, Children and Families Agency. He pioneered the world's first field of "comparative cognitive development science," which compares humans and non-human primates from the fetal stage and elucidates the mechanisms and biological basis of human-specific brain and mind development. Recent publications include "Mask Society is Dangerous - How Does 'Wearing a Mask Every Day' Affect Children's Development? (Takarajima Shinsho)," "Solving the Mysteries of Human Development - From Fetal Stages to the Future of Humanity (Chikuma Shinsho)," and "Imitation Nurtures the Human Mind (Iwanami Junior Shinsho)."

Director
Asuhana Dental Clinic
Maki Nakano

As a dentist and childcare worker, she has served as a certified doctor and director of the International Society for Periodontal Medicine, and is currently active in several academic societies. She is committed to promoting patient health and preventive medicine. Her main publications include "Where Kalanchoe Blooms" (Gentosha Media Consulting).

Director
Santo Kindergarten
Chiyuki Murakami

As a childcare content advisor, he serves on the Kumamoto Childcare Network steering committee and the Japan Childcare Association research committee, and also participates in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's support program creation research and examination committee. Major publications: "Food education opens up the future for children" (Entitle Publishing), "A smart body textbook" (Life Mile Age Research Institute)