Percepção de boca seca em adultos usuários de próteses removíveis / Perception of dry mouth in adult using of removable prostheses

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a percepção de boca seca em uma amostra de pacientes, de uma clínica de um curso de odontologia, usuários de próteses totais. Métodos: Fizeram parte do estudo 80 pacientes, que responderam a um questionário com 12 questões que caracterizavam o participante e abordava a sensação de boca seca e como a pessoa a percebia. O questionário foi pré-testado antes de sua aplicação definitiva. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio do Teste Exato de Fischer para identificar a associação da xerostomia com as variáveis independentes, com nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Os participantes do estudo tinham, em média, 62,3 anos de idade e 55% eram do gênero feminino. Metade (50,0%) dos participantes percebiam a boca seca e 72,5% apresentavam alguma doença crônica, principalmente a hipertensão (36,1%) e a diabetes (17,1%) e estas doenças se refletiam na alta (78,8%) utilização de medicamentos de uso contínuo. Apresentavam hábitos bucais nocivos 38,8% dos participantes, principalmente o tabagismo e o bruxismo. A sensação de boca seca foi associada ao gênero, a presença de mau hálito, ao uso de medicamentos contínuos e a sensação de ardência na boca. Conclusão: A partir dos dados coletados pode-se concluir que a xerostomia foi frequente na população estudada e deve ter impacto negativo na qualidade de vida dessas pessoas. (AU)

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess xerostomia (dry mouth) in a sample of patients who received dental care at a dentistry course clinic and who used dentures. Methods: This study included 80 patients, who answered a questionnaire with 12 questions that characterized the participant and addressed the sensation of dry mouth and how the person perceived it. The questionnaire was pre-tested before its final application. The statistical analyses were performed to identify the differences between the groups, establishing a significance level of 5% and applying the Fisher's exact test. Results: The participants of the study were, on average, 62.3 years of age, 55% of whom were female. Half (50.0%) of the participants perceived dry mouth and 72.5% had some form of chronic disease, mainly hypertension (36.1%) and diabetes (17.1%). These diseases are reflected in the high (78.8%) intake of continuous use medications. This study found that 38.8% of the participants presented harmful oral hygiene habits, mainly smoking and bruxism. The sensation of dry mouth was associated with gender, the presence of bad breath, the intake of continuous use medications, and a burning sensation in the mouth. Conclusion: From the collected data, it is possible to conclude that xerostomia (dry mouth) was frequent in the studied population, most likely causing a negative impact on these people's quality of life. (AU)

Bone callus formation is highly disrupted by dietary restriction in growing rats sustaining a femoral fracture

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the effects of food restriction on fracture healing in growing rats. Methods: Sixty-eight male Wistar rats were assigned to two groups: (1) Control and (2) Dietary restriction. After weaning the dietary restricted animals were fed ad libitum for 42 days with 50% of the standard chow ingested by the control group. Subsequently, the animals underwent bone fracture at the diaphysis of the right femur, followed by surgical stabilization of bone fragments. On days 14 and 28 post-fracture, the rats were euthanized, and the fractured femurs were dissected, the callus was analyzed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, micro-computed tomography, histomorphometry, mechanical tests, and gene expression. Results: Dietary restriction decreased body mass gain and resulted in several phenotypic changes at the bone callus (a delay in cell proliferation and differentiation, lower rate of newly formed bone and collagen deposition, reductions in bone callus density and size, decrease in tridimensional callus volume, deterioration in microstructure, and reduction in bone callus strength), together with the downregulated expression of osteoblast-related genes. Conclusion: Dietary restriction had detrimental effects on osseous healing, with a healing delay and a lower quality of bone callus formation.

Undernutrition impairs the quality of growth plate and trabecular and cortical bones in growing rats

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the effects of dietary restriction on the growth plate and long bone tissue in growing rats. Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to two groups: Control (Con) and Diet-restricted (Res). After weaning, the Res rats were offered 50% of the chow ingested by the control (ad libitum food intake). The animals were subdivided into two subgroups with follow-ups up to 56 or 70 days. After euthanasia, the growth plate of tibias was analyzed by histomorphometry, micro-computed tomography, and mechanical test. The trabecular and compact bones were evaluated by histomorphometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and micro-computed tomography (μCT). Real-time PCR was used to analyze gene expression. Results: Although dietary restriction did not alter gene expression, several phenotypic changes were seen in the growth plate; i.e., decrease in volume, reduction in total area and height, decrease in the area ossified zones, mechanical weakening, reduction in mass of trabecular and cortical bone, lower bone density, deterioration of the trabecular and cortical microarchitecture, and trabeculae with lower collagen deposition. Conclusion: Dietary restriction had severe detrimental effects on the growth plate and trabecular and cortical bone.