Structural validity of the Brazilian version of the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13) in oral health research: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Sense of Coherence (SOC) construct has been used worldwide in oral health research, but rigorous factor analyses of the scale are scarce. We aim to test the dimensional structure of the Brazilian short version of the SOC scale with 13 items. METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis of four independent cross-sectional Brazilian studies on oral health, using the 13-items SOC scale. Sample 1 was conducted on 1760 mothers and 1771 adolescents. Sample 2 comprised 1100 adults. Sample 3 had 720 adults and older individuals. Sample 4 comprised 664 adolescent students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted on sample 1 to compare two models: 3-factor versus 1-factor. Because they were refuted, Exploratory Factor Analysis was implemented in samples 2 and 3. Modified models were tested in sample 4 using CFA. All analyses were conducted with MPlus version 7.11. RESULTS: CFA of sample 1 resulted in an unacceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.12;CFI = 0.78; TLI = 0.73; and WRMR = 3.28) for 1-factor model and 3-factor (RMSEA = 0.10; CFI = 0.87; TLI = 0.84; and WRMR = 2.50). The EFA on samples 2 and 3 showed, respectively, two eigenvalues greater than 1 (4.11 and 1.56) and (4.32 and 1.42), but the scale items soc1, soc2 and soc3 formed an uninterpretable second factor. Another CFA, using sample 4, showed acceptable model fit after removing those three items and also soc11 (RMSEA = 0.05; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.99; and WRMR = 0.71). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the SOC-13 scale needs further adjustments. The one-factor model with nine items showed a good statistical fit, but the implications of excluding items should be further investigated, considering the scale's content validity, cross-cultural adaptation and theoretical background.

Dental pain in adult and elderly homeless people: Prevalence, associated factors, and impact on the quality of life in Midwest Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with dental pain and its impact on the quality of life of adult and elderly homeless people in Midwest Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 353 individuals aged ≥18 attending a public homeless shelter in a Brazilian state capital (Goiânia). Data on sociodemographic, psychosocial, drug use and oral health-related factors, and quality of life [Oral Impact on Daily Performance scale (OIDP)] were collected through interviews. Pearson's Chi-square tests and robust Poisson regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental pain in the past 6 months was 50 percent. Most of the respondents reported very severe pain and self-management including medication and tooth extraction. In the adjusted regression, the prevalence of pain was 1.48 times higher among individuals who last visited the dentist within the past 2 years, compared to those who had visited more than 2 years ago; and nearly five times higher among those with a perceived need for dental treatment, compared to those with no need. The prevalence of oral impact on daily performance was 80.1 percent and the most affected activities were "difficulty eating" and "feeling ashamed to smile or speak." The adjusted prevalence of impact was higher among individuals who had dental pain, regardless of their sociodemographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence, intensity, and self-management of dental pain were high among the Brazilian homeless people studied. Reporting of pain was associated with factors related to dental care and negatively affected their quality of life.

Bone quality assessment in routine dental implant treatment among Brazilian and Swedish specialists.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the interpretation and assessment of bone quality among Brazilian and Swedish specialist performing implant treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire was developed containing open and closed questions on attitudes, knowledge, and understanding of diagnostic methods for bone quality assessment. The questionnaire was sent by mail to dental implant specialists in Brazil while the Swedish version was Web-based and sent to specialists in periodontology and maxillofacial surgery. The response rate in the Brazilian group was 15.4% and in the Swedish group 36.5%. RESULTS: Most respondents in both groups considered bone quality to be an important parameter for implant treatment outcome. Among Swedish specialists, bone quality, however, was considered to be of low relevance. The most popular method for assessing bone quality among Swedish specialists was the hand-felt perception of drilling resistance followed by radiography. The Brazilian specialists more often used peak insertion torque. Most respondents classified bone quality, and both groups used the classification proposed by Lekholm & Zarb (Tissue-Integratedprosthesis: Osseointegration in Clinical Dentistry, 1985, Quintessence, Chicago) most frequently. CONCLUSION: Specialists in both countries considered bone quality to be an important parameter for implant treatment outcome, but there was no consensus neither on what bone quality means nor on how to assess bone quality.

An infant oral health programme in Goiânia-GO, Brazil: results after 3 years of establishment.

The objective of this study was to describe the outcomes of an infant oral health programme 3 years after implementation, a programme focused on health education for parents and caries prevention methods for children in a baby clinic. A retrospective cohort study was carried out. The setting was the Infant Oral Health Programme developed at the baby clinic of the State Department of Health, Goiânia-GO, Brazil. The sample comprised 100 children who entered the programme from birth to 12 months and were followed for 2 to 3 years. Variables investigated were caries experience, caries risk, and children's behaviour in the dental clinic. The number of children with caries experience was 1 at the initial visit and 8 after the follow-up. There was a dramatic decrease in the number of children in the high risk group, from 51% at the initial visit to only 1% after 2 to 3 years. Children's behaviour in the dental clinic was according to their psychological development. It was concluded that the Infant Oral Health Programme in Goiânia showed positive outcomes after 3 years of establishment. Further investigations should evaluate the cost-benefit, as well as the effectiveness of the procedures used in the programme.