Hard drugs use and tooth wear: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to map evidence on the relationship between hard drug use and dental wear. The scoping review is guided by the question: What is the relationship between hard drug consumption and dental wear? MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searches were conducted across PubMed, Embase, and four databases in March 2024. Inclusion criteria included studies investigating the association between hard drug use and dental wear, regardless of publication date or language. Data were presented through narrative exposition, tables, and a conceptual framework. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies (four case-control, three cross-sectional, five case reports, and sixteen literature reviews) were included. Among case-control studies, 75% observed an association between drug use and dental erosion; however, no cross-sectional studies demonstrated this association. Despite questionable quality, reviews established connections between drug use and dental erosion. Studies aimed to elucidate potential causes for dental erosion. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis suggests a potential link between hard drug use and dental wear, though indirect. Factors like bruxism and reduced salivary pH may contribute to dental wear among drug users. Further investigation through primary studies exploring this relationship is necessary. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dentists should focus not only on clinical characteristics of dental wear but also on mediating factors such as bruxism and decreased salivary pH associated with drug use. This holistic approach allows for a deeper understanding of dental wear mechanisms, enabling targeted preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Sleep hygiene measures combined with mindfulness meditation in the management of sleep bruxism in children: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Sleep hygiene measures and meditation may reduce stress and improve sleep quality, but their effect on the occurrence of sleep bruxism in children has not yet been investigated. AIM: To explore the effects of sleep hygiene measures combined with mindfulness meditation (relaxation audio) in the management of probable sleep bruxism (SB) in children. DESIGN: This clinical trial (no. NCT04501237) randomized 36 children with 3-8 years of age. Probable SB detection was performed according to the criteria established by the International Consensus on The Assessment of Bruxism-2018. Intervention group was instructed to practice sleep hygiene measures and mindfulness meditation (i.e., the use of a digital app to broadcast audio relaxation) each night before bedtime for 5 weeks; control group did not receive guidance for therapies. Parents completed a bruxism diary for 5 weeks, and the outcome was the number of SB episodes-day reported in the week (ranging from 0 to 7) in each period. A multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression model was performed. RESULTS: A total of 32 children (mean age: 6.1 years) completed the study. The children who received the therapies related to sleep hygiene measures and mindfulness meditation had a reduction in the SB incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 46% (IRR = 0.54 [Confidence Interval 95%, 0.45-0.65]) during a 5-week observation period. The sensitivity analyses did not show relevant changes in the measure of the effect. CONCLUSION: Sleep hygiene measures combined with mindfulness meditation reduced the SB in children.

Contextual inequalities in specialized dental public health care in Brazil.

The present study aimed to investigate the contextual inequalities of specialized public dental care (SPDC) in Brazil. The outcome was the trajectory of dental specialized production in municipalities with SPDC (from 2015 to 2017) obtained by group-based trajectory modeling. A Poisson regression model was used to analyze the factors associated with the high trajectory of SPDC production. The inequality indicators for SPDC production were the slope index and the concentration index according to contextual factors. The study included 954 SPDC units distributed across 893 municipalities. Among the municipalities evaluated, 62.9% had a low trajectory of SPDC. Large-sized municipalities had the highest production (IRR = 2.84, 95%CI: 1.94-4.14) and the southern region had the lowest production (IRR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.58-0.92). Municipalities presenting a very high human development index (HDI) showed the greatest SPDC production (IRR = 3.34, 95%CI: 1.09-10.24), as well as municipalities with the highest tertile of schooling rate (IRR = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.00-1.50). The absolute inequality was 52.1 percentage points for the average monthly wage (p < 0.001), 61.0 percentage points for the HDI (p < 0.001), -22.1 for infant mortality rate (p <0.001), and 14.8 for the schooling rate (p = 0.012). Thus, there are contextual inequalities in the Brazilian SPDC. Higher scores for social indicators were associated with better SPDC performance.

Single crown vs. composite for glass fiber post-retained restorations: An 8-year randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the success and survival rates of metal-ceramic crowns and composite resin restorations applied in root filled teeth that received a glass fiber post. METHODS: A prospective, randomized controlled trial, with equivalent parallel groups was designed. Eighty-two teeth were randomly allocated to the metal-ceramic or composite resin groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis with shared frailty for patients and Kaplan-Meier curves were performed using success and survival rates (p<0.05). RESULTS: Seventy-five post-retained restorations (34 metal-ceramic crowns and 41 composite restorations) in 62 patients were analyzed. The median follow-up was 8.1 years [IQR 4.0-9.9]. Twenty-seven failures were observed. Twenty-two failures (81.5 %) were observed in the composite resin group, of which six (27.3 %) were not repairable. Five failures (18.5 %) were observed in the metal-ceramic crown group, of which three (66.6 %) were non-repairable. The cumulative success rate at 8 years was 85.0 % for crowns (AFR=1.31 %) and 43.2 % for composite resins (AFR=6.58 %), while the survival rate was 93.8 % for crowns (AFR=0.52 %) and 97.6 % for composite resins (AFR=0.20 %). Considering the success rates, adjusted multivariate Cox regression showed that composite resin had a Hazard Ratio of 5.07 (95 %CI, 1.99-12.89) greater than the metal-ceramic crown. No significant difference in the failure risk was observed when the survival rates were considered (HR=0.38, 95 %CI (0.10 - 1.44), p = 0.156). Co-variables did not affect the success and survival rates (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Metal-ceramic crowns showed a higher success rate than composite restorations. The survival rates were similar, but composite restorations presented a higher need for repairs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Post-retained composite restorations may need more reinterventions during the lifecycle, although more preservation of sound tooth structure is expected with a large restoration of resin post-and-core. These aspects have to be discussed with the patient for decision-making planning.

Discrimination and dental students: What is the reality in Brazilian institutions?

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate whether there is discrimination in the dental educational environment, assess the main reasons for the discriminatory events, and if there is an association between discriminatory episodes and sociodemographic characteristics of undergraduate dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire to students enrolled in three Brazilian dental schools. Questions included sociodemographic characteristics and the occurrence of discriminatory episodes in the dental academic environment. Descriptive analysis was performed in RStudio 1.3 (R Core Team, RStudio, Inc., Boston, USA) software and the associations were tested using Pearson's chi-square test, considering 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: A total of 732 dental students were included, with a response rate of 70.2%. The vast majority of students were female (66.9%), with white/yellow skin colour (67.9%), and with a mean age of 22.6 (SD 4.1) years. Sixth-eight percent of students reported having experienced some discrimination in the academic environment and most reported feeling uncomfortable with the episode. The main reasons to have been discriminated against raised by students were specific behaviour/habit, have specific moral, ethical, and aesthetic values, gender, and socioeconomic status or social class. The occurrence of discriminatory episodes was associated with female gender (p = .05), non-heterosexual sexual orientation (p < .001), studying in public institutions (p < .001), receiving an institutional scholarship (p = .018), and being in the final undergraduate cycle (p < .001). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of discriminatory episodes was common in Brazilian dental higher education. Discriminatory situations generate traumas and psychological marks, causing a loss of diversity within the academic environment that leads to loss of productivity, creativity, and innovation. Thus, strong institutional policies against discrimination are crucial to create a healthy dental academic environment.

Can oral health have an impact on academic performance and school absenteeism?: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the association between oral health and academic performance and/or school absenteeism. Methods: Electronic searches were performed of the PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS and LILACS/BVS databases. We included observational studies that evaluated the association between dental caries, tooth loss, dental pain or oral health status with school absenteeism or academic performance. The studies had to contain a representative sample of the population: schoolchildren, children or adolescents. After the removal of duplicates, the electronic searches produced 3,789 articles. Of these, 25 studies were included in the systematic review and 13 in the meta-analysis. Results: Considering all the studies evaluated in the meta-analysis, seven articles satisfied 100% of the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal checklist, and six contained between 90% and 75% positive answers. The pooled effects showed that the chances of school absenteeism were 31% higher in subjects with dental caries (OR 1.31; 95%CI 1.12-1.54). Students with fair/poor dental health had a 50% higher chance of suffering poor academic performance (OR 1.50; 95%CI 1.22-1.84) and 34% higher chance of having problems at school (OR 1.34; 95%CI 1.06-1.70). Students with a history of toothache had a 3.7 higher chance of being absent from school (OR 6.65; 95%CI 1.60-8.32) and 71% higher chance of missing class due to toothache (OR 1.71; 95%CI 1.15-2.56). Subjects with a history of toothache had a 2.5 times higher chance of suffering poor academic performance (OR 2.58; 95% CI 2.04-3.27). Conclusion: Therefore, students with oral problems were more likely to take time off school and present inferior academic performance

Human venous blood derivatives as fetal bovine serum substitute for fibroblast culture cells in a fibrin construct

Aim: Venous blood derivatives (VBDs) have been suggested as substitutes for Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) to improve the clinical transition of cell-based therapies. The literature is not clear about which is the best VBDs substitute. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of VBDs on cell viability and describe a new method to seed these cells in a 3D Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF). Methods: Blood was processed to obtain Platelet-Poor Plasma from PRF (P-PRF), Human Serum (HS), Platelet-Poor Plasma from PRP (P-PRP), activated-PRP (a-PRP), and Platelet lysate (PL). Cells were supplemented with each VBD at 10% and FBS at 10% was the control. Cell viability (fibroblast 3T3/NIH) test was evaluated with MTT assay in two ways: i) cell-seeded and expanded with VBD; ii) cell-seed with FBS and expanded with VBD. To seed the Fibrin construct, cells were suspended in PBS and dropped into the blood sample before performing Choukroun's protocol for PRF. Constructs were cultured for 7 days in VBD supplements and FBS. Histological and Immunohistochemical analysis with vimentin was performed. Cell viability was analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results: VBD's production time was very heterogeneous. Cells expanded in HS and a-PRP has grown faster. VBD-supplemented culture media provided cell culture highly sensible to trypsin/EDTA 0.25%. Cells seeded and expanded with VBD presented viability comparable to FBS in HS, a-PRP, and P-PRP (p>0.05) and lower in P-PRF and PL groups (p<0.05). The viability of cell seed with FBS and expanded with VBD was similar between P-PRF, a-PRP, PL, and FBS (p>0.05) and lower in HS and P-PRP (p<0.005). PRF-seeded cells showed a positive expression of vimentin and were able to maintain all cells supplemented with VBD. Conclusion: VBD supplements were able to maintain fibroblast cells in 2D and 3D cultures. The new method of the fibrin-cell construct was efficient to insert the cells into the fibrin network

Discriminatory episodes negatively impact the quality of life of Brazilian dental students: A cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate whether discriminatory episodes occurring in the university environment were associated with dental students' self-perceived overall quality of life and assess the cumulative effect of perceived discriminatory experiences on the overall quality of life. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, all students enrolled in three Brazilian dental schools were invited to participate in a survey between August and October 2019. The outcome was students' self-perceived quality of life, measured through the overall quality of life item of the World Health Organization-Quality of Life Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression analyses (95% confidence intervals and α of 5%) were conducted using RStudio software. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 732 students (70.2% response rate). The great part was female (66.9%), white or yellow skin color (67.9%), and were children of highly educated mothers. About 68% of the students reported having experienced at least one of the seven discriminatory experiences presented in the questionnaire and 18.1% reported neutral or negative quality of life. In multivariable analyses, it was estimated that students who experienced at least one episode of discrimination were 2.54 times (95% CI: 1.47-4.34) more likely to report worse quality of life than their counterparts who reported no experience of discrimination. There was also a 25% (95% CI: 1.10-1.42) increase in the odds of reporting poorer quality of life for each additional discriminatory experience reported. CONCLUSION: Reporting at least one discriminatory situation in the academic environment was associated with worse quality of life among dental students, and a cumulative effect was also noted.

Impact of tooth mineral tissues genes on dental caries: A birth-cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms present in the genes of tooth mineral tissues influence dental caries trajectory across the life course, and if there is an epistatic (gene-gene) interaction between these SNPs. METHODS: A representative sample of all 5,914 births from the 1982 Pelotas birth cohort study was prospectively investigated. Dental caries trajectory across the life course was assessed at 15(n = 888), 24(n = 720), and 31 years old(n = 539). Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify distinct subgroups of individuals whose caries measurements followed a similar pattern over time. Genetic material was collected, and individuals were genotyped [rs4970957(TUFT1), rs1711437(MMP20), rs1784418(MMP20), rs2252070(MMP13), rs243847(MMP2), rs2303466(DLX3), rs11656951(DLX3), rs7501477(TIMP2), rs388286(BMP7), and rs5997096(TFIP11)]. Analyzes were performed for allele and genotype using logistic regression and generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction for epistatic interactions. RESULTS: The analyses included 678 individuals, those with allele C (OR=0.74, CI95%[0.59-0.92]), genotype CC in the additive effect (OR=0.52, CI95%[0.31-0.89]), and the genotype TC/CC in dominant effect (OR=0.72, CI95%[0.53-0.98]) on the rs243847(MMP2) were associated with low caries trajectory. Individuals with the allele T (OR=0.79, CI95%[0.64-0.98]) and the genotype TC/CC in dominant effect (OR=0.66, CI95%[0.47-0.95]) on the rs5997096(TFIP11) were associated with low caries trajectory. Positive epistatic interactions were observed involving two (MMP2 and BMP7; p = 0.006) and three (TUFT1, MMP2, and TFIP11; p<0.001) loci and high caries trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Some SNPs present in the genes of tooth mineral tissues were associated with caries trajectory and epistatic interactions increasing the network of SNPs involved in individual caries experience. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the pathway of tooth mineral tissues genes may contribute significantly to the individual caries experience across the life course.

Genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the pathway of saliva and dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), related to genes in salivary composition and flow, on dental caries experience. Sixteen studies were included in the systematic review and ten in the meta-analysis. Forty-four SNPS, covering four genes (CA6, AQP2, AQP5, and MUC5B) were identified. Most of the SNPs were not associated with caries in meta-analysis. Homozygous TT genotype of the SNP CA6 rs17032907(C/T) was associated with caries [OR = 3.23(1.39-7.49)]. The pool effect of the SNPs assessed in AQP5 was associated with a reduction in the likelihood of caries [OR = 0.75(0.59-0.95)]. Considering all SNPs of salivary composition and flow, the effect allele was associated with a 75% increase in the likelihood of caries [OR = 1.75(1.06-2.89)] in the homozygous genotype. The present findings showed that the genes in salivary composition and flow can play an important role in dental caries experience.

Teaching of composite restoration repair in Brazilian dental schools.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate aspects of the teaching of restoration repair as a minimally invasive alternative to replacing defective direct composite restorations in undergraduate curricula teaching programs in Brazilian dental schools. METHODS: A 14-item validated survey questionnaire was mailed to directors/coordinators of operative/restorative dentistry teachers of Brazilian Dental Schools. Data were collected on demographic characteristics of the teachers and institutions, together with questions on the teaching of the repair of defective resin-based composite restorations as part of the school curriculum; the rationale behind the teaching; the nature of the teaching (preclinical and/or clinical); how techniques were taught, indications for repair, operative techniques, materials used, patient acceptability and expected longevity of completed repairs. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-two (94%) directors/ coordinators of dental curricula in Brazil were contacted. One hundred and thirty-one directors/coordinators (59%) replied, providing the e-mail address from the teacher responsible for the operative/restorative dentistry program in their school. Of these, 104 responded to the questionnaire (79% response rate). Ninety-three (89%) of the participating schools reported teaching composite repairs as an alternative to replacing restorations. Of the theoretical content, 43% was taught at preclinical and clinical levels, whereas most practical experience (53%) was acquired at clinical levels. Eighty-eight schools (95%) reported tooth substance preservation being the main reason for teaching repair techniques. All schools that taught repairs reported high patient acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: The teaching of composite restoration repair as an alternative to restoration replacement is established in undergraduate programs in most of the Brazilian dental schools surveyed. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The reasons for teaching restoration repair in Brazil were found to be quite unanimous among teachers, especially regarding the preservation of tooth structure. Variations were found in the clinical indications for repair, suggesting the need for further investigations. Monitoring repaired restorations should be encouraged and could contribute to future studies.

Is the effect of COVID-19 on periodontal treatment similar to that in general dental care and primary medical care? an observational study in Brazil.

The present study aimed to analyze the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rates of periodontal procedures, and provide a comparison with general dental care and primary medical care procedures carried out in the Brazilian Public Health System. The study had an ecological, retrospective design with data from 5,564 Brazilian municipalities (99.9%). A multilevel mixed-effects linear regression was used to analyze the longitudinal associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and the rate of procedures. There was a significant reduction in the number of periodontal procedures (Coef. -428.6 [95%CI -774.3/-82.9]) during the COVID-19 pandemic, although this reduction was no greater than that of medical and general dental procedures. Medical procedures witnessed the sharpest drop in procedures (Coef. -2831.5 [95%CI -3964.1/-1699.0]). A lower rate of general dental procedures was also identified during the pandemic (Coef. -2,110.6 [95%CI -3,400.8/-820.4]). The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the rate of periodontal procedures carried out in the Brazilian Public Health System. The highest recutions were observed in general dental and medical procedures.

Dental students' self-perception of security and biosafety measures in times of pandemic by COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in private Universities in Southern Brazil

The study investigated the factors associated with the self-perception safety of dental students in clinical activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was based on a semi-structured online (google forms) self-applied questionnaire, sent by e-mail to three private Dental Schools in Brazil. The variables were: 1) sociodemographic information; 2) questions about the measures adopted by dental schools before returning to clinical activities; 3) dental students' self-perception of security; 4) the General Health Questionnaire. Data were submitted to Fisher's exact test (p<0.05). Of the 294 eligible students, 97% were evaluated and 100% received previous specific biosafety training predominantly theoretical (72.16%) longer than one hour (51.55%). Most students (81.44%) felt secure performing clinical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students undergoing specific biosafety training for longer than one hour felt safer than those perfoming training for up to 1 hour (p=0.004). Students from schools where the aerosol-producing restriction was applied felt safer than those without restrictions (p=0.016). Women reported feeling less secure than men (p=0.046), and students who submitted to COVID-19 Specific Biosafety Training felt safer in clinical activities than those submitted to theoretical training only (p=0.011). Students from private universities presenting psychosomatic changes felt less secure in practicing clinical dental care activities (p=0.006). In conclusion, time-spent training in biosafety, restriction of the use of aerosol-producing procedures, and the gender of students were associated with the self-perception safety of students. Students with practical training felt safer in clinical activities for patients with COVID-19 than those who had only theoretical training

Association Involving Possible Sleep Bruxism, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms in Brazilian University Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

The aim of the present study was to examine the association regarding sleep bruxism (SB), depression, and stress in Brazilian university students. We conducted a cross-sectional study with a large-sample of university students ( n = 2,089) in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to classrooms to evaluate socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Possible SB was detected by self-report according to the International Consensus on The Assessment of Bruxism Criteria (2018). The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to assess depression and stress symptoms respectively. Crude and adjusted Poisson regression analyses were performed. The prevalence of possible SB, high level of stress, and depressive symptoms in the sample were of 20.4%, 16.6%, and 16.6% respectively. Stress in female students was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of possible SB, but not in male students. Regarding depression, the prevalence of SB was 28% higher in students with depressive symptoms. Students with stress or depression had a 35% higher prevalence of SB than those without any symptoms. Conclusion The findings have shown that university students with stress and depressive symptoms were more likely to be detected with possible SB.

Analysis of dentistry content on Instagram®and the use of social networks by Brazilian dental students

Aim: The aim of our study was to analyze the content related to dentistry published on Instagram® and to investigate the students' profiles related to the use of social networks in a sample from a Dentistry School. Methods: This study was carried out in two stages. First, research was conducted to analyze content published on Instagram® related to dentistry. The second part investigated the profiles of students' from a dental school in relation to the use of social networks through a questionnaire. A descriptive analysis was performed and associations between the variables were tested using Fisher's exact test. Results: We found a diversified and large amount of content related to dentistry published on Instagram®, and publications that involved advertising were more prevalent in our study. There are also many publications that are violating the Code of Dental Ethics. In addition, in the second part of our study, we observed an enormous use of social networks by dental students (98.4%). Conclusions: As a result, we believe that it is important to update professionals about the ethical infractions related to social networks which could be approached during graduate courses in universities. Finally, the analyzed social network seems to be an interesting alternative for disseminating health information in order to dialogue with greater proximity to the large number of users who participate in it

Flipped classroom and the use of role-play in the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and learning

Aim In Brazil, COVID-19 remains one of the epicenters of the pandemic, thus, presential educational activities are suspended. The study aimed to describe the approach of flipped classroom performed to provide social distancing and to maintain teaching activities during COVID-19-pandemic. Methods Flipped Classroom was chosen to be associated with the role-play technique as a central methodology. To bring students closer to activities performed in the non-pandemic period, some actions and assessments were also role-played by Professor simulating patients in virtual meetings. Results Although the changes in the format of the lessons, our approaches stimulated the students maintained the high frequency of students in the activities (almost 100%) providing continuity activities. Conclusions This report can reinforce that meaningful learning can be taught by using a virtual/remote approach. However, the potential positive results observed cannot be used as an excuse to maintain remote teaching activities with the objective of cost-cutting by the institutions.

Are Stress Associated with Temporomandibular Dysfunction? A Cross-Sectional Study / O Estresse Está Associado à Disfunção Temporomandibular? Um Estudo Transversal

Temporomandibular disorders are frequent in different segments of the population and harm the quality of life of individuals. The present sudy aimed to investigate the association between stress and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) in university students in Brazil. All incoming students at the Federal University of Pelotas were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. A self-administered questionnaire was used with socioeconomic and oral health variables. TMD Fonseca questionnaire "Fonseca's anamnestic index" was used to identify the severity of symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction. The same was elaborated in the form of Helkimo's anamnestic index. Stress was measured using a modified version of the Perceived Stress Scale and categorized into quartiles. Logistic multivariable regression models were used to analyze the associations of interest controlling for possible confounding variables. A backward stepwise procedure was used to select variables that should be kept in the final model. A total of 2,089 students answered the questionnaires and 82 (3.9%) were classified with the presence of TMD. Adjusted logistic regression shows that chance of presenting temporomandibular dysfunction was higher (OR=2.43; 95%CI=1.04-5.65) when the stress level increased. In conclusion, the mild degree of temporomandibular dysfunction was the most prevalent. Stress was associated with individuals with a higher prevalence of temporomandibular dysfunction. (AU)

As disfunções temporomandibulares são frequentes em diferentes segmentos da população e prejudicam a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar a associação entre estresse e disfunção temporomandibular (DTM) em estudantes universitários no Brasil. Todos os alunos ingressantes da Universidade Federal de Pelotas foram convidados a participar deste estudo transversal. Foi utilizado um questionário autoaplicável com variáveis ​​socioeconômicas e de saúde bucal. O questionário TMD Fonseca "Índice anamnésico de Fonseca" foi utilizado para identificar a gravidade dos sintomas da disfunção temporomandibular. O mesmo foi elaborado na forma de índice anamnésico de Helkimo. O estresse foi medido usando uma versão modificada da Perceived Stress Scale e categorizado em quartis. Modelos de regressão logística multivariada foram usados ​​para analisar as associações de interesse controlando possíveis variáveis ​​de confusão. Um procedimento de backward stepwise foi usado para selecionar as variáveis ​​que deveriam ser mantidas no modelo final. Um total de 2.089 alunos responderam aos questionários e 82 (3,9%) foram classificados com presença de DTM. A regressão logística ajustada mostra que a chance de apresentar disfunção temporomandibular foi maior (OR=2,43; IC95%=1,04-5,65) quando o nível de estresse aumentou. Em conclusão, o grau leve de disfunção temporomandibular foi o mais prevalente. O estresse foi associado a indivíduos com maior prevalência de disfunção temporomandibular. (AU)

Socio-economic inequalities in dental pain in children: A birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe socio-economic inequalities in dental pain and dental caries in 5 and 12-year-old children enrolled in a birth cohort. METHODS: This prospective study was carried out with children enrolled in a birth cohort in Pelotas, Brazil. The main outcome was history of dental pain in the last six months, collected at 5 and 12 years of age. Dental caries was evaluated as a secondary outcome. Inequalities dimensions were investigated using maternal education and family income. The inequalities indicators used were the slope index of inequality (SII) and the concentration index (CIX). RESULTS: Some 1,114 and 990 children were included in the analyses at the 5- and 12-year follow-ups, respectively. The prevalence of dental pain was 16.5% (95% CI 14.4-18.8) at 5 years and 31.6% (95% CI 28.7-34.6) at 12 years. Regarding SII, the difference in the prevalence of dental pain was 14 and 11 percentage points at 5 and 12 years, respectively, when comparing the less to the more maternal schooled strata. Relative inequalities (CIX) were found for dental pain only at age 12, considering family income (-5.8 CI95% -11.0; -0.6). Absolute socio-economic inequalities were also observed for dental caries in both ages. CONCLUSION: Dental pain in the last six months and dental caries was unequally distributed. Economically disadvantaged groups had the highest prevalence of dental pain and dental caries in both dentitions. Actions to tackle socio-economic inequalities must be designed throughout life.

Dentist's preferences on vital and nonvital tooth bleaching: findings from a Guatemalan survey

Aim: The present study aimed to investigate if the Guatemalan dentist's options on tooth bleaching could be influenced by their time in clinical practice, the level of specialization or their working place. Methods: A representative sample of dentists working in clinical practice in Guatemala was selected. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire with information related to gender, professional characteristics (time since graduation in years and working place) and preferences regarding vital (at-home or in-office; type and concentration of bleaching agent) and the nonvital tooth bleaching (bleaching agent used). The analysis was performed and the association between preference for bleaching technique and independent variables were investigated using Fisher's exact test. Results: 200 dentists were interviewed. More than half of dentists were male (57.0%) with time since graduation between 11 and 20 years (n= 64; 32.3%). Dentists mostly (60.5%) preferred in-office technique for vital bleaching, with 10-20% Carbamide peroxide (CP) as the preferred agent (50%). For nonvital teeth, the preferred agent (46.8%) was 37% Hydrogen Peroxide (HP). About the associations, younger dentists (< 20 years of graduation) selected mostly in-office technique, while those with more than 20 years indicated more the at-home technique. Also, the dentists working in private practice chose more frequently in-office technique. Thus, the in-office technique was more popular among Guatemalan dentists, with 10-20% CP and 37% HP selected as favorite bleaching agents for vital and nonvital techniques, respectively. Conclusion: The time of clinical practice and working place influenced some choices