Accreditation Results(Accreditation Results for School of Dental Education)

The Nippon Dental University,
School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, Department of Life Dentistry

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2030）

The Nippon Dental University
School of Life Dentistry at Niigata
Department of Life Dentistry

Accreditation Results
for the Nippon Dental University, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata,
Department of Life Dentistry

Based on the Nippon Dental University’s founding spirit of “independence and selfreliance,” its purpose of “developing dentists with knowledge, skills, and noble values,”
and its educational mission “to provide broad-based educational opportunities while
simultaneously carrying out specialized research into, and providing medical
knowledge of, the teeth, the jaw, and the mouth, based on a proper development ofintellectual, moral, and practical capabilities,” and thereby “contribute to thedevelopment and well-being of human culture and assist in the creation of a healthy
citizenry,” the Nippon Dental University, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata,
Department of Life Dentistry, has defined its goal of developing “not just dentists who
provide effective dental care autonomously, but medical practitioners who help
improve public health by contributing to an extensive range of dental care services,
including community dental care and social welfare medical care.” The School aims
to achieve this by “providing opportunities for students to acquire knowledge, skills,
and ethical values related to life dentistry through the study of life and the medical
treatment of life forms.” Under this goal, the School trains dentists with the ability toconstantly respond to life and the social demand.
To achieve the above goal, the School offers a sequential curriculum
consisting of eight categories of courses that students take according to their level. A
notable feature of the education program is the use of Learning Through Discussion(LTD) and other active learning approaches from their early years of study. The LTD
method is fused with Problem-based Learning (PBL) to create LTD-based PBL, alearning model that improves problem-solving skills based on logical thinking,develops a scientifically inquisitive mind, and in turn fosters a research mindset. With
respect to lectures, it is highly commendable that the School assures the quality ofteaching by requiring first-time teachers to give mock lectures before instructing
actual classes.
The School offers a patient care clinical practice course in two terms: thefirst term runs from April to early December, and the second from mid-December toearly March. In this course, students participate in home visit clinical practice under
the supervision of dentists belonging to Domiciliary Dental Care. These practicesessions are arranged through Niigata Hospital or Home Dental Care Niigata Clinic, a1

The Nippon Dental University
School of Life Dentistry at Niigata
Department of Life Dentistry

dedicated home visit dental practice located in central Niigata Prefecture (in theTsubame Sanjo area). The course also offers field training opportunities wherestudents visit nursery schools, kindergartens, municipal health centers, and care homes.
The clinical training is an effective learning opportunity for students to experience
firsthand the variety of cases dentists are exposed to in real life or the problems facedby communities. It is also commendable that the School helps its teaching staff
improve their skills and abilities through creative efforts to encourage self-evaluation.
There are areas for improvement identified by the certified evaluation andaccreditation, however.
First, although the School offers a point of contact for students to inquire
about their grades, there is no grade inquiry system in place. To ensure a fair and robust
grading process, the School should stipulate in writing the grade appeal process andensure it is made known to all concerned. Second, the ratio of student enrollment tothe student enrollment capacity is low due to the rising number of early drop outs,
among other factors. The ratio improved in AY2022, but the School continues to face
the issue of declining enrollment, as shown by the low five-year average ratio of newstudent enrollment to the enrollment target.
To address the issues identified, the School is advised to conduct
improvements based on the results of the certified evaluation and accreditation forschools of dentistry, continue with its self-study efforts to enhance the quality of its
dentistry education (bachelor’s program), and further develop the distinctive featuresof its education program.

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