Use of oral health care services by family caregivers and care recipients: the LENTO intervention.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the impact of an individually tailored preventive oral health intervention on the use of oral health care services by older family caregivers (FCs) and their care recipients (CRs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized controlled six and 12-month oral health intervention study included FCs and CRs aged ≥65 years living in Eastern Finland. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (FCs n = 53, CRs n = 47) and a control (FCs n = 39, CRs n = 35) group. Individually tailored oral health interventions for the FCs provided by a dental hygienist focused on oral hygiene and self-care. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the impact of intervention on the change in the use of oral health care services. RESULTS: The intervention had no significant effect on the use of oral health care services by the FCs or their CRs. Traditional factors such as female gender, a higher number of teeth, toothache, no dental fear, and higher morbidity were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with an increased use of oral health care services in the FCs, but not among the CRs. CONCLUSIONS: Individually tailored preventive oral health intervention showed no effect on the use of oral health care services. To promote oral health among the elderly, specific interventions focusing on use of oral health care services are needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04003493.

Public Dental Service Access Policies for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil: A Pre-Evaluation Study.

This study sought to carry out a systematic and preliminary evaluation of the policies on access to public dental services for people with ASD in a Brazilian city. The study, conducted between November/2019 and February/2020, was developed through document analysis, the design of the theoretical logical model of the policies, and seven semi-structured interviews with key informants. The sample was intentionally selected. We also considered the answers to 108 questionnaires from a pilot study on the access of people with ASD to dental services applied to caregivers, dentists, and non-dental professionals. No refusals were recorded. The availability study showed that the policies' objectives were not being achieved in terms of care network organization: there were no institutional flows, personal contacts were used between professionals to guarantee access to secondary attention, there was no specific training for the dentists about ASD, and the oral health care network was unknown to non-dentist professionals and caregivers. Most people with ASD have visited the dentist at least once in their lives, but a large percentage of those within this study did not do so in the last year. This study identified difficulties in implementing policies and suggested possible strategies for overcoming them as dimensions and subdimensions for evaluation.

The impact of devolution on local health systems: Evidence from Greater Manchester, England.

Devolution and decentralisation policies involving health and other government sectors have been promoted with a view to improve efficiency and equity in local service provision. Evaluations of these reforms have focused on specific health or care measures, but little is known about their full impact on local health systems. We evaluated the impact of devolution in Greater Manchester (England) on multiple outcomes using a whole system approach. We estimated the impact of devolution until February 2020 on 98 measures of health system performance, using the generalised synthetic control method and adjusting for multiple hypothesis testing. We selected measures from existing monitoring frameworks to populate the WHO Health System Performance Assessment framework. The included measures captured information on health system functions, intermediatory objectives, final goals, and social determinants of health. We identified which indicators were targeted in response to devolution from an analysis of 170 health policy intervention documents. Life expectancy (0.233 years, S.E. 0.012) and healthy life expectancy (0.603 years, S.E. 0.391) increased more in GM than in the estimated synthetic control group following devolution. These increases were driven by improvements in public health, primary care, hospital, and adult social care services as well as factors associated with social determinants of health, including a reduction in alcohol-related admissions (-110.1 admission per 100,000, S.E. 9.07). In contrast, the impact on outpatient, mental health, maternity, and dental services was mixed. Devolution was associated with improved population health, driven by improvements in health services and wider social determinants of health. These changes occurred despite limited devolved powers over health service resources suggesting that other mechanisms played an important role, including the allocation of sustainability and transformation funding and the alignment of decision-making across health, social care, and wider public services in the region.

Use of oral health care services among older home care clients in the context of an intervention study.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of care-dependent older people living at home need external support to receive regular dental care. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the use of oral health care services among old home care clients who participated in an intervention study focusing on oral self-care and nutrition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study employed data from the multidisciplinary Nutrition, Oral Health and Medication (NutOrMed) intervention study with a population-based sample of 245 home care clients (74% female) aged 75 or more divided in intervention (n = 140) and two control groups (n = 105). The data were collected through interviews at baseline and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, 43% of participants reported visits to oral health care within the previous year. At 6-month follow-up, this proportion was 51%. In the intervention group, the corresponding figures were 46% and 53%, and in the controls 39% and 48%. Adjusted regression analyses showed that this change was statistically significant (p = 0.008). In addition, higher education and toothache or other discomfort related to teeth or dentures at baseline were associated with increased use after the 6-month follow-up (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0-1.2; OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.5-7.9) but being edentulous indicated the opposite (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1-0.4). Belonging to the intervention group was not associated with increased use. CONCLUSIONS: In older adults, any efforts to raise awareness of oral health are of great potential to increase use of services.

Oral Health Service Use in Older Peruvians Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to analyse inequalities in oral health services utilisation (OHSU) in older Peruvian adults through comparative analysis of the years 2019 and 2021. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2019 and 2021 Demographic and Health Survey (ENDES). The outcome variable was OHSU by older Peruvian adults in the past year. We used Poisson generalised linear models adjusted for age and sex to assess changes in OHSU by sociodemographic characteristics. The Erreygers concentration index was used to describe the socioeconomic inequalities in OHSU. The contribution of each variable to inequalities was estimated by a decomposition analysis. RESULTS: In 2021, OHSU probability amongst older Peruvian adults decreased by 37% compared to 2019. The decline was greatest in those aged 80 or older (51%), the lowest wealth quintile (47%), those with functional limitations (53%), and those whose native language is Quechua or other indigenous languages (47%). Surprisingly, we observed a reduction in OHSU inequalities (difference: -0.1074; P = .003) during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly amongst rural residents (difference: -0.0771; P = .030), the lowest wealth quintile (difference: -0.0764; P = .020), and those with functional limitations (difference: -0.3665; P < .001). Poverty accounted for 73% of the inequality in 2021. CONCLUSIONS: The probability of OHSU has significantly decreased likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paradoxically, we observed a reduction in OHSU inequalities during the pandemic, despite the known socioeconomic impact. However, further research is required to gain deeper understanding of this phenomenon.

Association between place of dental check-ups and work absenteeism among Japanese workers.

OBJECTIVES: Dental check-ups at the workplace provide the opportunity for early detection of dental diseases. Dental check-ups during working hours could reduce the number of days of absence from work due to visits to dental clinics outside the workplace. Although health check-ups are provided to workers in Japan, dental check-ups is not mandatory. This study aimed to determine the association between the place of dental check-ups and absenteeism due to visits to the dental clinic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from an online self-reported worker survey conducted for 2 weeks in March 2017. We applied linear regression analysis with robust variance to determine the association between the place of dental check-ups and absenteeism due to dental clinic visits while adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and oral health covariates. RESULTS: The average age of the 3930 participants was 43.3 ± 11.7 years, and 52.3% were male. The number of days of absenteeism due to dental clinic visits in the past year for those who received check-ups only at the dental clinic and at the workplace were 0.57 ± 2.67 days and 0.21 ± 1.20 days, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, it was found that those who received dental check-ups at the workplace had 0.35 (95% CI, 0.12-0.58) fewer days of absence than those who received dental check-ups at the dental clinic. CONCLUSION: Workers who received dental check-ups at the workplace were associated with fewer days of absence due to dental visits than those who received at the dental clinic.

Procedimentos odontopediátricos realizados pelo Sistema Único de Saúde no Rio Grande do Sul, antes e durante a pandemia de covid-19: diferença entre os anos de 2018 e 2021 / Procedimientos de odontopediatría realizados en el Sistema Único de Salud del estado de Rio Grande do Sul antes y durante la pandemia de COVID-19: diferencia entre los años 2018 y 2021 / Pediatric dentistry procedures performed within the Brazilian National Health System in the state of Rio Grande do Sul before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: difference between the years 2018 and 2021

Objective: to analyze the difference in the number of primary teeth dental procedures performed within the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: this was a descriptive ecological study, using secondary data from the SUS Outpatient Information System (SIA-SUS), from 2018 to 2021, in the state and in its seven health macro-regions; we calculated the relative and absolute frequencies and the percentage difference of the dental procedures performed. Results: 94,443 and 36,151 dental procedures were recorded before and during the pandemic, respectively, corresponding to a 61.7% reduction; relevant percentage reductions were found in restorative procedures, which reached 20% in the southern region of the state; an increase in the percentage of exodontic and endodontic procedures was found. Conclusion: the results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had negative repercussions on the performance of primary teeth dental procedures in Rio Grande do Sul.

Objetivo: analizar la diferencia en el número de procedimientos odontológicos en dentición temporal realizados en el Sistema Único de Salud del estado de Rio Grande do Sul, antes y durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Métodos: estudio ecológico descriptivo, utilizando datos secundarios del Sistema de Información Ambulatorio del SUS (SIA-SUS), de 2018 a 2021, en el estado y en las siete macrorregiones de salud. Se calcularon las frecuencias relativas, absolutas y la diferencia porcentual de los procedimientos odontológicos realizados. Resultados: se registraron 94.443 y 36.151 procedimientos odontológicos antes y durante la pandemia, respectivamente, lo que corresponde a una reducción del 61,7%. Se observaron reducciones porcentuales relevantes en los procedimientos restaurativos, que alcanzaron 20 puntos porcentuales en la región sur del estado. Se observó un aumento en el porcentaje de procedimientos de exodoncia y endodoncia. Conclusión: los resultados sugieren que la pandemia de COVID-19 tuvo repercusiones negativas en la realización de procedimientos odontológicos en dentición temporal en el estado.

Objetivo: analisar a diferença no número de procedimentos odontológicos na dentição decídua, realizados pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, antes e durante a pandemia de covid-19. Métodos: estudo ecológico descritivo, utilizando-se dados secundários do Sistema de Informações Ambulatoriais do SUS (SIA/SUS), de 2018 a 2021, no estado e em suas sete macrorregiões de saúde; foram calculadas as frequências relativas e absolutas, e a diferença percentual dos procedimentos odontológicos realizados. Resultados: foram registrados 94.443 e 36.151 procedimentos odontológicos antes e durante a pandemia, respectivamente, correspondendo a uma redução de 61,7%; reduções percentuais relevantes foram observadas nos procedimentos restauradores, atingindo 20 pontos percentuais na região Sul do estado; observou-se aumento no percentual de procedimentos exodônticos e endodônticos. Conclusão: os resultados sugerem que a pandemia de covid-19 teve repercussões negativas sobre a realização dos procedimentos odontológicos na dentição decídua, no estado.

Fatores associados ao uso de serviços odontológicos públicos no brasil: uma revisão integrativa / Factors associated with the use of public dental services in Brazil: an integrative review / Factores asociados al uso de servicios odontológicos públicos en Brasil: una revisión integrativa

Introdução:Uma ampla gama de fatores pode contribuir para facilitar ou restringir o uso de serviços de saúde bucal pela população. A compreensão desses fatores pode contribuir para a identificação das parcelas da população com maior dificuldade de acesso e auxiliar na elaboração de políticas públicas de saúde voltadas para populações específicas de forma equânime. Objetivo:Analisar a produção científica acerca dos fatores associados ao uso de serviços odontológicos públicos no Brasil.Metodologia:Foi realizada uma revisão integrativa da literatura, com busca de artigos originais publicados entre 2011 e 2021, nas bases Medline, Lilacs, SciELO e BVS. De um total de 724 estudos, 10 artigos atenderam aos critérios de elegibilidade propostos e foram selecionados para a revisão.Resultados:entre as crianças os fatores associados ao uso de serviços odontológicos públicos foram: condição socioeconômica, raça, escolaridade da mãe e necessidade de tratamento. Nos adultos: gênero, raça, renda, nível de escolaridade, histórico de dor de dente, cárie, avaliação do tratamento recebido como regular, autopercepção de saúde bucal e de necessidade de tratamento. E entre idosos: raça, renda, nível de escolaridade, uso de serviços para fins curativos, uso de prótese e autopercepção da saúde bucal. Conclusões:Sugerem-se estudos longitudinais para elucidação de relações de causalidade e estudos com a população adolescente. São necessárias mudanças na assistência odontológica no país, de forma a superar a perspectiva focalizada de um SUS para pobres e alcançar uma Atenção à Saúde Bucal baseada nos princípios da universalidade, integralidade e equidade (AU).

Introduction:A wide range of factors can contribute to facilitate or to limit the use of oral health services by people. The understanding of these variables can contribute to identify the segments of the population with more difficulty of access and help the development of public health policies related to specific groups of people evenly. Objective:This paper aims to analyze the scientific production about the factors associated with the public dental services in Brazil. Methodology:An integrative review about the literature in the area was conducted, in search for papers published between 2011 and 2021, in Medline, Lilacs, SciELO and BVS. From 724 studies, 10 researches fulfilled the proposed eligibility criteria and were selected to the review. Results:Among the children, the factors associated with the use of public dental services were: socioeconomic condition, race, mother ́s educational degree and the need for treatment. In the case of adults: gender, race, income, level of education, medical history of toothache and dental caries, regular evaluation of the treatment received, the self-perception of oral health and of the need of treatment. Among the elderly people: race, income, level of education, the use of services for curative purposes, the use of prosthesisand the self-perception of oral health. Conclusions:It is suggested the development of longitudinal studies in order to elucidate the relations of causality and of studies with the teenagers. Changes in dental assistance in the country are necessary, in order to overcome the perspective of a SUS to poor people and to reach a Primary Dental Healthcare based in the principles of universality, integrality and equity (AU).

Introducción: Una amplia gama de factores puede contribuir a facilitar o restringir el uso de los servicios de salud bucal por parte de la población. La comprensión de estos factores puede contribuir a la identificación de las partes de la población con mayor dificultad de acceso y ayudar en la elaboración de políticas públicas de salud dirigidas a poblaciones específicas de manera equitativa. Objetivo: Analizar la producción científica sobre factores asociados al uso de los servicios públicos odontológicos en Brasil. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión integrativa de la literatura, buscando artículos originales publicados entre 2011 y 2021, en las bases de datos Medline, Lilacs, SciELO y BVS. De un total de 724 estudios, 10 artículos cumplieron con los criterios de elegibilidad propuestos y fueron seleccionados para revisión. Resultados: Entre los niños, los factores asociados al uso de los servicios odontológicos públicos fueron: nivel socioeconómico, raza, nivel de escolaridad de la madrey necesidad de tratamiento. En adultos: género, raza, ingresos, nivel de escolaridad, antecedentes de dolor de dientes, caries, evaluación del tratamiento recibido como habitual, autopercepción de la salud bucal y de necesidad de tratamiento. Y entre los adultos mayores: raza, ingresos, nivel de escolaridad, uso de servicios con fines curativos, uso de prótesis y autopercepción de la salud bucal. Conclusiones: Se sugieren estudios longitudinales para aclarar las relaciones causales y estudios sobre la población adolescente. Se necesitan cambios en la atención odontológica en el país, a fin de superar la perspectiva focalizada de un SUS para los pobres y lograr una Atención de Salud Bucal basada en los principios de la universalidad, integralidad y equidad (AU).

Measuring the quality of dental care among privately insured children in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether quality of dental care varies by age and over time and whether community-level characteristics explain these patterns. DATA SOURCE: Deidentified medical and dental claims from a commercial insurer from January 2015 to December 2019. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. The primary outcome was a composite quality score, derived from seven dental quality measures (DQMs), with higher values corresponding to better quality. Hierarchical regression models identified person- and zip code-level factors associated with the quality. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Continuously enrolled US dental insurance beneficiaries younger than 21 years of age. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Quality was assessed for 4.88 million person-years covering 1.31 million persons. Overall quality slightly improved over time, mostly driven by substantial improvements among children aged 0-5 years by 0.153 points/year (95% confidence interval [CI]:0.151, 0.156). Quality was poorest and declined over time among adolescents with only 20.5% of DQMs met as compared to 42.6% among aged 0-5 years in 2019. Dental professional shortage, median household income, percentages of African Americans, unemployed, and less-educated populations at the zip code level were associated with the composite score. CONCLUSION: Quality of dental care among adolescents remains low, and place of residence influenced the quality. Increasing the supply of dentists and oral health promotion strategies targeting adolescents and low-performing localities should be explored.

Factors related to orientation of search for dental care in high risk pregnancy / Fatores relacionados à orientação de busca pelo atendimento odontológico na gestação de alto risco

Abstract Objectives: to relate the search for dental care during pregnancy to sociodemographic, gestational and dental characteristics. Methods: quantitative approach study with cross-sectional design carried out with high-risk pregnant women, from January to May 2018. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's chi-square association test and Fisher's exact test, followed by logistic regression analysis and odds ratio calculation. Results: the final sample was composed of 190 pregnant women and the guidance for seeking dental care was significantly related to issues related to Prenatal Dental Care, regarding safety (p = 0.025), effective search (p < 0.0001) and the Unit Basic Health Care as a place of assistance (p = 0.0018). Pregnant women who did not receive search guidance are 19.6 more likely to not seek this service (p <0.001), when they seek it without guidance, they have 6.3 more chances to seek private services (p = 0.014) and when they do not receive guidance, they are 4.5 more likely to not feel secure in relation to this assistance (p = 0.005). Conclusion: the guidance and encouragement provided by the health team is paramount in pregnant woman's decision to seek assistance, especially in the context of Primary Health Care, and is characterized as a strategic tool in reducing insecurities related to dental treatment during pregnancy.

Resumo Objetivos: relacionar a orientação de busca pelo atendimento odontológico durante a gestação com características sociodemográficas, gestacionais e odontológicas. Métodos: estudo de abordagem quantitativa com delineamento transversal realizado junto a gestantes de alto risco, no período de janeiro a maio de 2018. A análise estatística foi conduzida pelo teste de associação qui-quadrado de Pearson e teste exato de Fisher, seguida pela análise de regressão logística e cálculo da odds ratio. Resultados: a amostra final foi composta por 190 gestantes e a orientação de busca foi significativamente relacionada às questões relativas ao Pré-Natal Odontológico, quanto à segurança (p=0,025), à busca efetiva (p<0,001) e à Unidade Básica de Saúde como local da assistência (p=0,0018). Gestantes que não receberam orientação de busca apresentam 19,6 mais chances de não buscar este serviço (p<0,001), quando o buscam sem orientação dispõe de 6,3 mais chances de ser por serviços privados (p=0,014) e quando não recebem orientação têm 4,5 mais chances de não sentir segurança em relação a esta assistência (p=0,005). Conclusão: a orientação e o incentivo realizados pela equipe de saúde são primordiais na decisão da gestante em buscar pela assistência, especialmente no âmbito da Atenção Primária em Saúde, e caracteriza-se como uma ferramenta estratégica na redução de inseguranças relacionadas ao tratamento odontológico no período gestacional.

The cost-effectiveness of a two-step blood pressure screening programme in a dental health-care setting.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is one of the largest contributors to the disease burden and a major economic challenge for health-care systems. Early detection of persons with high blood pressure can be achieved through screening and has the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality. We evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an opportunistic hypertension screening programme in a dental-care facility for individuals aged 40-75 in comparison to care as usual (the no-screening baseline scenario). METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was carried out from the payer and societal perspectives, and the short-term (from screening until diagnosis has been established) cost per identified case of hypertension and long-term (20 years) cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) were reported. Data on the short-term cost were based on a real-world screening programme in which 2025 healthy individuals were screened for hypertension. Data on the long-term cost were based on the short-term outcomes combined with modelling in a Markov cohort model. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were carried out to assess uncertainty. RESULTS: The short-term analysis showed an additional cost of 4,800 SEK (€470) per identified case of hypertension from the payer perspective and from the societal perspective 12,800 SEK (€1,240). The long-term analysis showed a payer cost per QALY of 2.2 million SEK (€210,000) and from the societal perspective 2.8 million SEK per QALY (€270,000). CONCLUSION: The long-term model results showed that the screening model is unlikely to be cost-effective in a country with a well-developed health-care system and a relatively low prevalence of hypertension.

Acesso de gestantes a serviços de saúde bucal na Atenção Primária à Saúde / Access of pregnant women to oral health services in Primary Health Care

Esta revisão rápida foi comissionada e subsidiada pelo Ministério da Saúde, no âmbito do projeto GEREB-010-FIO-20 e faz parte da Coleção "Rapid response for health promotion". Contexto: Conforme a Política Nacional de Saúde Bucal, as práticas de saúde bucal (SB) estão incorporadas em todos os níveis de atenção do SUS. Na atenção primária à saúde (APS), as equipes de SB trabalham alinhadas a equipes de Saúde de Família para garantir o acesso da população a ações de promoção, prevenção, tratamento e reabilitação relacionadas à saúde bucal. Pergunta: Qual a prevalência de acesso a serviços de saúde bucal na Atenção Primária à Saúde entre gestantes, conforme seu perfil socioeconômico? Métodos: Três bases da literatura eletrônica e o Google Acadêmico foram buscadas em março de 2021 para identificar estudos sobre o acesso e utilização de serviço de saúde bucal da APS entre gestantes. Utilizando atalhos de revisão rápida para simplificar o processo, foi realizada seleção e extração dos dados com posterior avaliação da qualidade. Em seguida, os resultados foram reunidos em síntese narrativa. Resultados: A busca retornou 1.168 referências únicas, que após seleção resultaram na inclusão de 8 estudos. Os estudos incluídos eram transversais ou de abordagem qualitativa, cuja condução foi considerada adequada a partir dos instrumentos de avaliação metodológica. As gestantes estudadas representavam populações das cidades de Currais Novos (RN), Dourados (MS), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Grande Vitória (ES), São Mateus (ES), Porto Alegre (RS) e Rio Grande (RS). Um estudo avaliou todas as macrorregiões brasileiras a partir dos dados dos dois primeiros ciclos do PMAQ (2011-2014). A escolaridade foi o único indicador do perfil socioeconômico descrito para todas as populações e a maioria apresentou a realização de consulta odontológica como medida de acesso e utilização dos serviços de saúde bucal. Considerações finais: Esta revisão rápida apresenta resultados de acesso da saúde bucal em registros pontuais com contextos específicos, limitando os resultados de prevalência. Não foram registradas participações de beneficiárias do Programa Bolsa Família. É recomendado novos estudos para a realização de estimativas de prevalência e generalização para outros grupos de modo a beneficiar a população de interesse.

This rapid review was commissioned and subsidized by the Ministry of Health, within the scope of the GEREB-010-FIO-20 project and is part of the "Rapid response for health promotion" Collection. Context: According to the Brazilian National Oral Health Policy, oral health practices (OH) are incorporated into all levels of care in the SUS. In primary health care (PHC), OH teams work in line with Family Health teams to ensure the population's access to oral health promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation actions. Question: What is the prevalence of access to oral health services in Primary Health Care among pregnant women, according to their socioeconomic profile? Methods: Three electronic literature databases and Google Scholar were searched in March 2021 to identify studies on the access and use of PHC oral health services among pregnant women. Using quick review shortcuts to simplify the process, data selection and extraction were performed with subsequent quality assessment. Then, the results were gathered in narrative synthesis. Results: The search returned 1,168 unique references, which after selection resulted in the inclusion of 8 studies. The included studies were cross-sectional or of a qualitative approach, whose conduction was considered adequate based on the methodological assessment instruments. The pregnant women studied represented populations from the cities of Currais Novos (RN), Dourados (MS), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Grande Vitória (ES), São Mateus (ES), Porto Alegre (RS) and Rio Grande (RS). One study evaluated all Brazilian macro-regions using data from the first two PMAQ cycles (2011-2014). Education was the only indicator of the socioeconomic profile described for all populations, and most of them had a dental appointment as a measure of access and use of oral health services. Final considerations: This quick review presents results of access to oral health in punctual records with specific contexts, limiting the prevalence results. There were no participations of beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família Program. Further studies are recommended to carry out prevalence estimates and generalization to other groups in order to benefit the population of interest.

Pricing in commercial dental insurance and provider markets.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of commercial dental insurer and provider concentration on dentist reimbursement. DATA SOURCES: We utilized provider data from the American Dental Association, reimbursement data from IBM Watson MarketScan® Commercial Research Databases, submitted billed charges from FAIR Health® , dental insurance market concentration data from FAIR Health® , and county-level demographic and economic data from the Area Health Resources File and the Council for Community and Economic Research. STUDY DESIGN: We used the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index to separately measure commercial dental insurance concentration and dentist concentration. We studied the effect of provider and insurance concentration on dentist reimbursement. Using two-stage least squares, we accounted for potential endogeneity in dental insurer and provider concentration. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Across the dental procedures we examined, a 10 percent increase in dental insurance concentration is associated with a 1.95 percent (P-value = .033) reduction in gross payments to dentists. Conversely, a 10 percent increase in dentist concentration is associated with a more modest 0.71 percent (P-value = .024) increase in gross payments. A 10 percent increase in dental insurance concentration is associated with a 1.16 percentage point (P-value = .016) decline in the allowed-to-list price ratio, while a 10 percent increase in dentist concentration is associated with a 0.56 percentage point (P-value = .001) increase in the allowed-to-list price ratio. Similar patterns were found across dental procedure subcategories. CONCLUSIONS: Dental provider markets are substantially less concentrated than insurance markets, which may limit the ability of dentists to garner higher reimbursement.

Acesso em saúde bucal no Brasil: análise das iniquidades e não acesso na perspectiva do usuário, segundo o Programa de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica, 2014 e 2018 / Acceso a la salud oral en Brasil: análisis de desigualdades y falta de acceso desde la perspectiva del usuario, según Programa para Mejorar el Acceso y la Calidad de la Atención Primaria, 2014 y 2018 / Oral health access in Brazil: analysis of inequities and non-access from the service user's perspective, according to the National Primary Care Access and Quality Improvement Program, 2014 and 2018

Objetivo: Investigar os fatores associados ao não acesso em saúde bucal no Brasil. Métodos: Estudo transversal, sobre dados da avaliação externa do Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica, em 2014 e 2018, mediante regressão logística multivariada hierarquizada. Definiu-se como 'não acesso' quando o usuário não consegue marcar consulta com cirurgião-dentista. Resultados: Foram analisados dados de 37.262 indivíduos do segundo ciclo (2014) e 117.570 do terceiro ciclo (2018). Maior chance de não acesso ocorreu para residentes em municípios mais desiguais e com menor cobertura de saúde bucal, deslocamento para a unidade de saúde superior a 11 minutos, sexo feminino, idade entre 25 e 39 anos e renda de até 1 salário mínimo. Conclusão: O não acesso associou-se a fatores municipais, como maior desigualdade; fatores organizacionais, como menor cobertura e tempo de deslocamento até a unidade; e fatores individuais, como sexo, idade e renda.

Objetivo: Investigar los factores asociados a la falta de acceso a la salud bucal en Brasil. Métodos: Estudio transversal, con datos de la evaluación externa del Programa de Mejoramiento del Acceso y la Calidad de la Atención Primaria (2014 y 2018), mediante regresión logística multivariable jerárquica. La categoría 'sin acceso' se definió cuando el usuario no consiguió concertar una consulta con un cirujano dentista. Resultados: Analizamos datos de 37.262 (2014) y 117.570 (2018) individuos. Se encontró una mayor probabilidad de no acceso para quienes: vivían en municipios con más desigualdad y con menor cobertura de salud bucal, cuyo tiempo de viaje a la unidad era superior a 11 minutos; mujeres, entre 25 y 39 años e ingresos de hasta 1 sueldo mínimo. Conclusión: La falta de acceso se asoció con factores municipales como mayor desigualdad; factores organizacionales como menor cobertura y tiempo de viaje a la unidad; y factores individuales como sexo, edad e ingresos.

Objective: To investigate factors associated with non-access to oral health in Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of data from external evaluations of the National Primary Care Access and Quality Improvement Program (2014 and 2018), using hierarchical multivariate logistic regression. 'Non-access' was defined as the service user not being able to make an appointment with a dentist. Results: We analyzed data on 37.262 individuals (2014 sample) and on a further 117.570 individuals (2018 sample). Greater likelihood of non-access was found for those who live in municipalities with greater inequalities and with less oral health coverage, those whose travel time to the health center is more than 11 minutes, being female, being aged between 25 and 39 years and those whose income was up to 1 minimum wage. Conclusion: Non-access was associated with municipal factors such as greater inequality; organizational factors such as less oral health coverage and travel time to the health center; and individual factors such as sex, age and income.

Processo de trabalho em saúde bucal: disparidade entre as equipes no Brasil, 2014 / Proceso de trabajo de salud bucal: disparidad entre equipos en Brasil, 2014 / Oral health work process: disparity between teams in Brazil, 2014

Objetivo: Comparar o desempenho das equipes de saúde bucal (ESBs) das modalidades I e II no processo de trabalho e as diferenças entre regiões brasileiras. Métodos: Estudo transversal, com dados das ESBs que aderiram ao Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica (2013-2014). A análise de classes latentes identificou subgrupos de ESBs segundo desempenho (consolidado, em desenvolvimento ou incipiente) no processo de trabalho (planejamento das ações; promoção da saúde; atenção integral). Comparadas as modalidades, obteve-se o índice de disparidade. Resultados: Avaliadas 15.886 ESBs, as da modalidade II apresentaram maior percentual de processo de trabalho consolidado nas regiões Sudeste (67,8 a 94,6%) e Sul (54,8 a 93,0%); observou-se maior disparidade no processo de trabalho consolidado entre ESBs da modalidade II (6,3 a 26,5), comparadas à modalidade I (3,9 a 18,4). Conclusão: ESBs da modalidade II guardam potencial para melhor desempenho no processo de trabalho, com disparidades regionais.

Objetivo: Comparar Equipos de Salud Bucal (ESB) modalidades I y II cuanto al desempeño en el proceso de trabajo y diferencias entre regiones brasileñas. Métodos: Estudio transversal con datos de la ESB adherida al Programa Nacional de Mejoramiento del Acceso y la Calidad en Atención Primaria (2013-2014). Análisis de Clases Latentes identificaron subgrupos de ESB según el desempeño (consolidado, en desarrollo o incipiente) en el proceso de trabajo (planificación de acciones, promoción de salud y atención integral). Se compararon las modalidades y se obtuvo el Índice de Disparidad. Resultados: Participaron 15.886 ESBs, las de modalidad II presentaron mayor porcentaje de proceso de trabajo consolidado en la región Sudeste (67,8% a 94,6%) y Sur (54,8% a 93,0%). La disparidad fue mayor entre la modalidad II (6,3 a 26,5) en comparación con la I (3,9 a 18,4). Conclusión: las ESBs modalidad II tienen potencial para obtener mejor desempeño en el proceso de trabajo, pero hubo disparidad regional.

Objective: To compare Modality I and Modality II Oral Health Teams (OHT) regarding work process performance and differences between Brazilian regions. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with OHTs that took part in the National Program for Primary Health Care Access and Quality Improvement (2013-2014). Latent Class Analysis identified OHT subgroups according to work process (action planning, health promotion actions and comprehensive health care) performance (consolidated, developing or incipient). OHT modalities were compared, resulting in an Index of Disparity. Results: After evaluating 15,886 OHTs, Modality II OHTs were found to have a higher percentage of consolidated work processes in the Southeast (67.8%-94.6%) and Southern (54.8%-93.0%) regions. Disparity in the consolidated work process was greater among Modality II OHTs (6.3-26.5) compared to Modality I OHTs (3.9-18.4). Conclusion: Modality II OHTs have the potential for better performance regarding the work process, but with regional disparities.

Associação entre dor dentária, uso de serviços odontológicos e absenteísmo escolar: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar 2015 / Asociación entre dolor dental, uso de servicios dentales y absentismo escolar: Encuesta Nacional de Salud Estudiantil, Brasil, 2015 / Association between dental pain, use of dental services and school absenteeism: 2015 National School Health Survey, Brazil

Objetivo: Analisar a associação entre dor dentária, uso de serviços odontológicos e absenteísmo escolar em adolescentes brasileiros. Métodos: Estudo transversal, sobre dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar (PeNSE 2015). A variável dependente do estudo foi o absenteísmo escolar por motivo de saúde nos últimos 12 meses. Características socioeconômicas, dor dentária e utilização de serviços odontológicos foram as variáveis independentes avaliadas. Empregou-se regressão logística, para estimar odds ratio (OR) e respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Foram incluídos 102.072 escolares. A prevalência de absenteísmo por motivo de saúde foi de 53,7% (IC95% 53,2;54,3). Pela análise ajustada, houve associação entre dor dentária e absenteísmo (OR=1,35 - IC95% 1,26;1,45), e aumento na ocorrência de absenteísmo conforme o maior número de consultas odontológicas. Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que a dor dentária e a frequência de consultas odontológicas podem estar relacionadas ao absenteísmo escolar.

Objetivo: Analizar la asociación entre dolor dental, el uso de servicios dentales y el absentismo escolar en adolescentes brasileños. Métodos: Estudio transversal con datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Escolar (PeNSE 2015). La variable dependiente del estudio fue el absentismo escolar por razones de salud en los últimos 12 meses. Características socioeconómicas, dolor dental y frecuencia del uso de los servicios dentales fueron las variables independientes evaluadas. La regresión logística se usó para estimar los odds ratio (OR) e intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Se incluyeron datos de 102.072 estudiantes. La prevalencia de absentismo por razones de salud fue del 53,7% (IC95% 53,2; 54,3). En el análisis ajustado, hubo una asociación entre el dolor dental y el absentismo escolar (OR=1,35; - IC95% 1,26; 1,45), y un aumento del absentismo según el mayor número de consultas dentales. Conclusión: Los resultados sugieren que el dolor dental y la frecuencia de las visitas al dentista pueden estar relacionados con el absentismo escolar.

Objective: To analyze association between dental pain, use of dental services and school absenteeism in Brazilian adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with data from the National School Health Survey (PeNSE 2015). The study's dependent variable was school absenteeism due to health reasons in the last 12 months. Socioeconomic characteristics, dental pain and use of dental services were the independent variables evaluated. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: Data on 102,072 schoolchildren were included. Absenteeism prevalence due to health reasons was 53.7% (95%CI 53.2;54.3). In the adjusted analysis, there was association between dental pain and school absenteeism (OR=1.35 - 95%CI 1.26;1.45), and an increase in absenteeism occurrence the greater the number of dental visits. Conclusion: The results suggest that dental pain and frequency of dental visits may be related to school absenteeism.

Has the Health Insurance Coverage of Scaling Contributed Positively to Periodontal Health in Korea?

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the health insurance coverage of dental scaling (introduced in 2013) using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs parameter among Korean adults aged 20 years or older. We used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from before and after 2013 to analyze the statistical significance and associations of the covariates with the prevalence of healthy periodontal tissues, prevalence of people in need of scaling, and prevalence of periodontal diseases. The results showed that the prevalence of healthy periodontal tissues increased by 4.9% (from 34.2% to 39.1%), the number of people in need of scaling decreased by 5% (from 65.9% to 60.9%), and the prevalence of periodontal diseases increased by 7.2% (from 23.4% to 30.6%). Moreover, after the scaling coverage policy, the odds ratio of the prevalence of healthy periodontal tissues was 1.10 times higher, the prevalence of the need for scaling was 1.5 times higher, and the prevalence of periodontal diseases was 0.90 times lower. Therefore, the state should formulate policies that provide dental biofilm management through a disclosing agent, impart education about oral hygiene, and develop a health management system that enables the concurrent management of periodontal diseases and systemic diseases.

Rural-urban disparities in the distribution of dental caries among children in south-eastern Louisiana: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence of dental caries among elementary school-aged children in rural compared to urban communities within south-eastern Louisiana that have participated in a school-based dental screening and sealant program. METHODS: The authors utilized de-identified Sealant Efficiency Assessment for Locals and States screening data for 2007-2014 provided by The Health Enrichment Network oral health program. The screening was conducted throughout 46 elementary schools in Louisiana. Screening forms recorded decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT). Descriptive statistics including demographic characteristics and oral health conditions were calculated. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the burden of caries in schools. RESULTS: Of 963 children screened, 32% had dental caries. There was an increased risk of having any DMFT among children who attended rural schools as compared to those who attended urban schools (prevalence odds ratio (POR)=2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.61-2.93). This study found that non-Hispanic black children had reduced odds of DMFT as compared to the children from other reported ethnicities (POR=0.695, 95%CI=0.503-0.960). CONCLUSION: A higher prevalence of dental caries was found in rural compared to urban communities. Further research is needed to assess the extent of geographic differences to improve oral health outcomes.

Regular use of dental services among university students in southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To verify the prevalence and factors associated with regular use of dental services in university students of the Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel). METHODS This cross-sectional study interviewed 1,865 students aged 18 years or older, starting bachelor's degrees in 2017, enrolled in the second academic semester of 2017 and in the first of 2018 in classroom courses at UFPel. We considered regular users those who reported regularly going to the dentist with or without perceived dental problems. To test factors associated with regular use of dental services, demographic, socioeconomic and oral health variables were collected. Statistical analyses were based on Poisson regression models. RESULTS The prevalence of regular use of dental services was 45.0% (95%CI 42.7-47.3). University students of high economic class (PR = 1.47; 95%CI 0.91-2.36), with last private dental appointment (PR = 1.29; 95%CI 1.03-1.61), positive self-perception of oral health (PR = 2.33; 95%CI 1.79-3.03) and no report of toothache in the last six months (PR = 1.22; 95%CI 1.03-1.45) showed higher prevalence of regular use of dental services. CONCLUSION The results point to inequalities in the regular use of dental services related to socioeconomic factors and a lower use among university students with worse oral health conditions. These results suggest that public health prevention and promotion policies in higher education institutions must be carried out to ensure quality of life among these young adults.

Factors associated with the use of Dental Health Services by Mexican Schoolchildren to receive Professionally Applied Topical Fluoride.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of and factors associated with the use of dental health services to receive professionally applied topical fluoride (DHSU-PATF) in the 12 months prior to the study among Mexican schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 1,404 schoolchildren selected randomly from 15 public schools in the city of Pachuca, Mexico. Questionnaires were distributed to determine the demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables. The dependent variable was the DHSU-PATF in the year before the study, which was dichotomized as 0 (no DHSU-PATF) or 1 (yes, DHSU-PATF). We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals. The analysis was performed in Stata 11.0. RESULTS: The prevalence of DHSU-PATF was 5.1%, but lower among younger children (OR = 0.86) and greater among children with health insurance (private insurance, OR = 3.64; insurance provided by the government owned oil company, the Army, or the Navy, OR = 5.03). The level of knowledge about oral health among guardians/ parents was also a factor (medium, OR = 2.37; high, OR = 4.05). Additionally, among the children whose parents/guardians perceived them (the children) as having good or very good oral health, the OR was 3.33; among children whose parents brushed their teeth with greater relative frequency, the OR was 8.74. Finally, DHSU-PATF was greater among children with relatively higher socioeconomic status (2nd quartile, OR = 3.29; 3rd quartile, OR = 5.99; 4th quartile, OR = 4.64). CONCLUSION: The receipt of PATF was low in this sample of Mexican schoolchildren and is associated with socioeconomic and behavioral factors. This gives us a guideline to create or improve topical fluoride application strategies in the public and private Mexican health systems.