Photobiomodulation (PBMT) and Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) In Oral Manifestations of Patients Infected by SARS-CoV-2: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (preprint)

Introduction: In 2019, a viral and respiratory pathology called COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China and spread to other continents. Its main symptoms include fever, cough, dyspnea, myalgia, anorexia and respiratory distress in the most severe cases, which can lead to death. Furthermore, manifestations in the oral cavity such as ageusia and dysgeusia, as well as lesions in other regions of the oral cavity, can be observed.Objective: Are Photobiomodulation (PBM) and Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) effective to treat oral manifestations of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2?Methodology: It was defined following the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Report on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis), and registered in the database in the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), including articles published between December 2019 to May 2021, Independent reviewers selected studies, qualitatively extracted data, assessed risk of bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute, assessed certainty of evidence through meta-analysis.Results: Of the 5,959 articles found, 32 fit the types of studies, but only 5 of them attended the pre-established criteria. Data corresponding to the articles, protocols used and clinical outcome were extracted, then submitted to qualitative and descriptive analysis. The results show favoring the associated use of PBMT with aPDT (p=0.004), and the isolated use of PBMT with the result of significant “p=0.005” and good confidence interval (7.18, 39.20) in ulcerative lesions, herpetic, aphthous, erythematous, petechiae and necrotic areas.Conclusion: According to the articles included in this review, PBMT and aPDT were effective in the treatment of oral lesions of patients infected with COVID-19 in a short period of time.

Where do Brazilian dental students seek information about COVID-19? (preprint)

Objective: We investigated where Brazilian dental students seek information about COVID-19 by a self-administered web-based questionnaire. Methods: A social network campaign on Instagram was raised to approach the target population. The dental students responded to a multiple-response question asking where they get information about COVID-19. The possible answers were government official websites or health and education institutions websites, TV Programs, professors, social media, scientific articles, other health professionals, and family members. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of responses were evaluated by gender, age, type of institution, and year of enrollment. Results: A total of 833 valid responses were received. The main source of information used by the dental students were government official websites or health and education institutions websites (88.7%), other health professionals (57.3%), and scientific articles (56.2%). The use of social media was reported by 54.1% of the students, while TV programs were information sources used by 39.9% of the students. The least used information sources were professors (38.1%) and family members (7.8%). Conclusions: The respondents seem to be acquainted to seek information in reliable sources and also use social media as a gateway to keep updated about the pandemics. Therefore, knowing where the dental students seek information about COVID-19 might facilitate dental school directors to approach such public continuously, providing them with trustable information on different platforms.

Brazilian dental students and COVID-19: a survey on knowledge and perceptions (preprint)

This study evaluated the knowledge and perception of Brazilian dental students about COVID-19 and the undergraduate clinical practice during the outbreak by a self-administered web-based questionnaire. A social network campaign on Instagram was raised to approach the reach population. The survey covered demographic and academic profile, general knowledge, preventive measures, and perception about the COVID-19. Descriptive statistics were used to identify frequencies and distributions of variables, which were compared by type of institution and current year of enrollment using Chi-square or Fishers exact tests (alpha=0.05). A total of 833 valid responses were received over 10 days. Students were able to identify the incubation period, main symptoms, and contagious routes of the disease but struggled in recognizing the name of the virus responsible for the pandemics. Hand washing before and after a dental appointment with a patient (97.7%) followed by use of barriers to protect mucosa (97.2%) were the more frequently recognized measures to prevent COVID-19 spread in the dental office. As for the perception of COVID-19, 73.2% of the dental students perceive the disease as severe, while only 11.1% of them think that COVID-19 is severe only for people presenting risk factors. Dental students knowledge and perception were associated with the type of institution and year of enrollment. In summary, the dental students demonstrated an acceptable general knowledge about COVID-19, but dental schools will need to address gaps in knowledge and control measures and perceptions to ensure a safer return to practical activities.