Dental Environment Stress: Findings among Lusophone Dental Students

Objective: To perform cross-cultural adaptation of the Dental Environment Stress (DES), to test its construct validity and reliability, and to identify the sources of stress among Brazilian dental students. Material and Methods: The DES was transculturally adapted to Portuguese using translation/back-translation, review by an expert bilingual committee and consensus building. The first version was tested in a sample of 42 dental students to check the understanding level of the alternatives. The final version was applied to all the students enrolled in a Brazilian Public Dental School. Construct validity was assessed through factor analysis, performed by principal components analysis and Varimax rotation and reliability by internal Cronbach's alpha coefficient (95% CI). Wilcoxon rank sum was conducted to test for gender and Kruskall-Wallis for year comparison. Multivariate analysis relied on ordinal logistic regression modeling. Results: Factor analysis revealed five factors that possessed eigenvalues greater than 1.5 and together explained 46.88% of the total variance. Internal consistency of each factor was adequate, with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.65 to 0.84. 'Examinations and grades' (82.80%) was the highest scored item. Females presented higher rates, as well as second's and fifth's years students. The entering students were generally concerned with factors related to "Academic Performance", whereas clinical year students with "Insecurity Concerning their Professional Future". Conclusion: The Portuguese version of the DES presented good results, thus it could be a valid instrument to assess the factors of perceived stress in Lusophone countries, subsidizing the development of strategies to minimize the stress and optimize school performance.

Knowledge of triathlon athletes about the relationship between oral health and performance

Introduction: The triathlon athletes have great energy loss due to physical activity of high intensity and resets are based on a highcarbohydrate diet and acid elements (acids replacers), both substrates to decay and periodontal disease. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate, through a questionnaire whether triathlon athletes relate oral health to their physical performance. Material and methods: We developed a questionnaire with 20 objective questions and applied during marathons and at fitness centers, in the city of Curitiba, in 2015. Results: The majority of athletes use supplements with high levels of carbohydrates and acids for energy replacement daily and do not brush their teeth after workouts / nutrition. Of the 254 respondents, only 96 relate oral health to their performance in sports. Conclusion: The athletes do not relate the importance of oral health care to performance and largely do not brush the teeth after the activities, leaving the oral environment more susceptible to the onset of periodontal disease and caries, which can decrease their performance. It is necessary to inform triathlon athletes about the relationship oral health x systemic health x performance, as well as the dentists about the need of oral health care for these athletes.