The determinants and control of soft drinks-incited dental erosion / Determinantes e controle da erosão dental induzida por refrigerantes

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper has been to review the past and current literature on the determinants and control of soft drinks-incited dental erosion. METHODS: The authors used Medline to find relevant literature published until March 2009. Abstracts and full articles were read to identify studies and reviews describing various modifying factors and determinants of dental erosion. Additional information was obtained using manual library search. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Excessive exposure to various acid sources can contribute to the chemical erosion of tooth surfaces. While these acid sources have the potential to erode teeth, various chemical, biological and behavioral factors determines the erosive action of the acids they contain. Several interceptive and preventive means have been proposed to minimize damage to the dentition.

OBJETIVOS: O objetivo deste artigo foi revisar a literatura passada e atual sobre os determinantes e controle da erosão dentária induzida por refrigerantes. MÉTODO: Os autores utilizaram o MEDLINE para encontrar literatura relevante publicada até março de 2009. Resumos e artigos completos foram lidos para identificar estudos e revisões descrevendo vários fatores modificantes e determinantes da erosãodentária. Obteve-se informação adicional pela busca manual na literatura em bibliotecas. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÕES: Exposição excessiva a várias fontes ácidas podem contribuir para a erosão química de várias superfícies dentárias. Enquanto estas fontes ácidas têm o potencial de erosionar dentes, vários fatores químicos, biológicos e comportamentais determinam a ação erosiva dos ácidos que contêm. Várias medidas preventivas e interceptivas têm sido propostas para diminuir os danos causados pela erosão.

Dental Care Utilization and Satisfaction of Residential University Students

Aim: The objective of this study was to provide information on the level of utilization and satisfaction of residential university students with the dental services provided by the dental clinic of a teaching hospital. Volunteers and Material: A stratified sampling technique was used to recruit volunteers from the outpatient clinic of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex; Ile-Ife; Nigeria. Information was collected by a self-administered questionnaire composed of questions that measure the level of utilization and satisfaction with the dental services provided. Questionnaires were provided to 650 randomly chosen students residing in the University hostels. There were 39 refusals; and 6 incomplete questionnaires were discarded. This left a sample size of 605 volunteers. Results: Forty seven students (7.8) indicated that they visited the dental hospital within the last 12 months. Males and females utilized the dental services equally; and utilization increased with age and the number of years spent on campus. Anticipation of painful dental treatment; high dental charges; long waiting times and being too busy for a dental visit were cited as the most important impediments to seeking dental treatment. Females expressed greater satisfaction with the services. Conclusion: Dental service utilization among the students was found to be low. Oral health awareness campaigns; improving the quality of the services; and shortening the waiting time are expected to increase service utilization and satisfaction