Evaluation of the impact of pain from dental urgencies on the patients' oral health- related quality of life: a cross- sectional study

Background. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the impact of pain from dental urgencies on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Methods. A sample of sixty-eight patients seeking urgent attention to a primary health unit were included. Clinical diagnosis and sociodemographic data were assessed, dental pain measured by visual analog scale (VAS) and numerical pain rating scale (NPRS). The Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) instrument was used to measure the OHRQoL. Associations were analyzed using the Student t-test, except for types of urgencies, that were evaluated with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Results. The most prevalent urgency type was of endodontic origin (81%). There was no difference between pain and other variables. The type of tooth showed significant differences in OHIP-14 scores. Conclusion. Dental urgencies were associated with a high level of pain and impacted negatively on the patients' OHRQoL. The type of tooth had a positive association the OHRQoL measures.

O apoio institucional e as ações das equipes de saúde bucal na atenção primária à saúde no Brasil / Institutional support and actions of oral health teams in primary health care in Brazil

O apoio institucional é uma ferramenta de articulação de práticas e de estratégias de gestão colegiada fundamental para construção de espaços de produção de saúde bucal no escopo da atenção primária à saúde. O presente estudo tem o objetivo de analisar a atuação do apoio institucional em relação a participação das equipes de saúde bucal em ações de monitoramento, reunião de equipe e organização de processo de trabalho na Atenção Primária. Trata-se de um estudo transversal de base em serviço, com dados coletados pelo segundo ciclo do PMAQ- AB-SB por meio do instrumento de Avaliação Externa para as Equipes de Saúde Bucal. Para análise dos dados foi proposto um desfecho construído a partir do conjunto de ações realizadas pelo apoio institucional nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde. O desfecho foi analisado segundo ações não clínicas realizadas por equipes de saúde bucal na atenção primária. Os dados foram analisados por descrição de prevalência e associações bivariadas por meio do Teste do Qui-quadrado e do Teste Exato de Fisher. Como resultado observou-se que a taxa de prevalência nacional do conjunto de ações do apoio institucional foi de 23,3%. As macrorregiões Nordeste (25,2%) e Sudeste (26,6%) apresentaram melhores resultados. Houve associação entre o conjunto de ações do apoio institucional com realização de discussão dos dados de monitoramento, participação em reuniões da equipe de atenção primária e planejamento e organização do processo de trabalho. Conclui-se que há necessidade de maiores investimentos na implementação do apoio institucional em Unidades de Saúde qualificando processos de trabalho.

Institutional support is a tool for the articulation regarding practices and strategies of collegiate management, which are important for the construction of oral health production spaces at the primary health care space. This study aims to analyze the role of institutional support in relation to the participation of oral health teams in monitoring actions, teamwork and work process organization in Primary Care. This is a cross-sectional in-service study, with data collected by the second cycle of PMAQ- AB-SB through the External Assessment Tool for Oral Health Teams. For data analysis, an outcome was proposed based on the set of actions performed by institutional support. The outcome was analyzed according to actions performed by oral health teams in primary care. The data were analyzed by the description of prevalence and bivariate associations using the cChi-square test and Fisher's exact test. As a result, it was observed that the national prevalence rate of institutional support actions was 23.3%. The Northeast (25.2%) and Southeast (26.6%) macroregions had better results. There was an association between the set of institutional support actions and the discussion of monitoring data, participation in primary care team meetings, and planning and organization of the work process. It is concluded that there is a need for greater investment in the implementation of institutional support in Health Units, qualifying work processes.

Four-year incidence and predictors of coronal caries in south Brazilian elderly.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence and predictors of coronal caries among community-dwelling elderly in a southern Brazilian city. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted using a simple random sample of persons aged 60 years or older in Carlos Barbosa city, southern Brazil. Interviews and oral examinations were conducted among 388 dentate individuals at baseline and among 273 at 4-year follow-up. The incidence of coronal caries was modeled by means of negative binomial regression. RESULTS: Some 184 (76.7%) participants presented with new coronal caries lesions or restorations, whose mean number was 2.2 ± 2.1, whereas the 4-year mean coronal caries incidence rate was 0.28 ± 0.29. In the multivariate model that controlled for baseline predictors, older age, male gender, living in a rural area, current smoking, and negative self-perception of oral health were associated with coronal caries incidence. Among clinical variables, the use of partial dentures was a predictor, whereas higher saliva flow rate was a protective factor for the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic factors, primary determinants of health, behavioral, and clinical variables were predictors of the incidence of coronal caries. As people enter old age, even stronger emphasis should be put on preventive strategies.

Assessing changes in oral health-related quality of life and its factors in community-dwelling older Brazilians.

OBJECTIVE: To describe changes in oral health-related quality of life and to evaluate the associations of these changes in community-dwelling older people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this longitudinal study a representative sample of 872 older people, living in Brazil, was evaluated during 2004. The follow-up was carried out during 2008, with 587 older persons evaluated. A questionnaire assessing socio-demographic information, health history, oral health-impact profile and number of natural teeth was used. Changes in oral health-related quality of life were categorized as improvement or deterioration. Data analysis was performed using a hierarchical approach based in a conceptual framework. A hierarchal approach was carried out using Poisson regressions. RESULTS: Older persons living in rural areas, those who reported brushing once a day or less and older persons with fewer natural teeth had an increased chance of reporting deterioration in oral health-related quality of life. Women and participants who received a minimum wage of less than US $219.50 were more likely to report improvement in oral health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that changes in the oral health-related quality of life are influenced by many of the variables that were included in the conceptual framework.

Resilience and self-perceived oral health: a hierarchical approach.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether positive self-perceived oral health is associated with sociodemographic health variables, with an emphasis on resilience, in community-dwelling older adults in southern Brazil. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study nested within a cohort study. SETTING: Carlos Barbosa in southern Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred ninety-six community-dwelling adults aged 64 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Sociodemographic information, a health history, and health perceptions were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Resilience was assessed using a resilience scale. For each participant, a brief oral examination was performed to assess number of teeth. Positive self-perceived oral health was the outcome of interest. RESULTS: A final, fully adjusted Poisson regression model showed that high resilience potential (prevalence ratio (PR)=1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.06-1.32), income (PR=1.18, 95% CI=1.07-1.30), and no reported change in diet because of dental problems (PR=1.34, 95% CI=1.13-1.60) were associated with positive self-perceived oral health. Participants living in rural areas were less likely to report positive self-perceived oral health (PR=0.83, 95% CI=0.75-0.93). CONCLUSION: Using a hierarchical approach, positive self-perceived oral health was found to be associated with several variables included in the conceptual framework of oral health outcomes, such as resilience. Resilience may act as a potentiating agent in the positive adaptation to tooth loss.

Denture stomatitis and its risk indicators in south Brazilian older adults.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if socio-demographic, behaviour and health variables are risk indicators for denture-related stomatitis in community-dwelling older adults from Carlos Barbosa, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 872 subjects aged 60 years or more were evaluated. Data collection included dental examinations and questionnaires to assess socio-demographic, behaviour, general and oral health data. All questionnaires and examinations were carried out during 2004. Associations between the independent variables and the outcomes 'prevalence of denture stomatitis' or 'prevalence of granular stomatitis' were adjusted by means of multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: Participants with denture stomatitis were significantly more likely to be females, to display increased amounts of plaque, and significantly less likely to visit the dentist for treatment. Participants with granular stomatitis were significantly more likely to be females and participants with granular stomatitis were significantly more likely to be females, aged 70 years or more and current smokers. In addition, participants with granular stomatitis displayed increased amounts of plaque. CONCLUSION: The data presented here confirms the central role of denture biofilm accumulation in denture stomatitis. It also indicates that smoking may increase susceptibility to infection in its most severe form.