Oral Health Matters: The Ethics of Providing Oral Health During COVID-19.

Oral health is a critical part of overall health. The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of oral health. In this article, we describe how dental practice has been impacted by COVID-19, identify the public health response to COVID-19, and explain the gradual resumption of dental care after the initial disruption due to the pandemic. Finally, we discuss how long-standing health disparities in oral health have been exacerbated by the current pandemic.

Relação entre trabalho especializado e técnico: o caso da ortodontia à luz da bioética clínica amplificada / The relationship between specialized and technical work: the case of orthodontics from the perspective of amplified clinical bioethics / Relación entre trabajo especializado y técnico: el caso de la ortodoncia a la luz de la bioética clínica amplificada

Na reorganização da saúde bucal, percebe-se, como desafio ético-político, a transição para as relações em equipe. Aplicou-se pesquisa exploratório-descritiva de abordagem qualitativa, que coletou dados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com 11 ortodontistas, analisados por Análise Textual Discursiva. Evidenciam-se problemas éticos como: ideologia do profissionalismo; confusão de competências com o trabalho técnico; e hierarquização em contraposição à construção de liderança. À luz da bioética clínica amplificada desvela-se uma tendência à persistência de saberes e fazeres tradicionais. A busca pela superação da mercantilização e hierarquização sugere uma prática cogestionada e capacitada à deliberação, a partir da solidariedade, diálogo e cooperação, da graduação à formação lato sensu.(AU)

In the reorganization of the oral health field, the transition to team relationships is an ethical-political challenge. This is an exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study, and gathered data through semi-structured interviews with 11 orthodontists who were examined through discursive analysis. The results disclosed ethical problems, such as the ideology of professionalism, confusion of competences with technical work, and hierarchy in opposition to the construction of leadership. Amplified clinical bioethics revealed a tendency to stick to traditional knowledge and procedures. The search to overcome commercialization and hierarchy suggests that practice is becoming co-managed and qualified for deliberation, based on solidarity, dialogue and cooperation, from undergraduate to lato sensu graduate courses.(AU)

En la reorganización de la salud bucal se percibe como desafío ético-político la transición para las relaciones en equipo. Se aplicó una encuesta exploratorio-descriptiva de abordaje cualitativo que colectó datos por medio de entrevistas semi-estructuradas con 11 especialistas en ortodoncia, analizados por Análisis Textual Discursivo. Se evidencian problemas éticos tales como: ideología del profesionalistmo, confusión de competencias con el trabajo técnico, la jerarquización en oposición a la construcción del liderazgo. A la luz de la bioética clínica amplificada se desvela una tendencia a la persistencia de saberes y haceres tradicionales. La búsqueda por la superación de la mercantilización y jerarquización sugiere una práctica co-gestionada y capacitada para la deliberación, a partir de la solidariedad, diálogo y cooperación, de la graduación a la formación lato sensu.(AU)

Evaluación de la calidad de la atención estomatológica de dos servicios de Estomatología General Integral. Sancti Spíritus. 2018 / Evaluation of the quality of dental care of two General Comprehensive Stomatology services. Sancti Spíritus. 2018

RESUMEN Fundamento: La calidad de la atención estomatológica está caracterizada en el proceso y factores que intervienen en la prestación de los servicios, dirigidos a alcanzar buenos resultados en lo que a salud bucal se refiere. Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad de la atención estomatológica de dos servicios de Estomatología General Integral de la provincia Sancti Spíritus. Metodología: Se Realizó una investigación en sistema y servicio de salud en la provincia Sancti Spíritus de enero a noviembre del 2016. De las 21 unidades asistenciales que prestan el servicio de Estomatología General Integral, se eligieron dos, una de la zona urbana y otra de la zona rural. El muestreo aleatorio simple fue el proceder que se empleó para efectuar esta elección en cada zona. El Policlínico Tipo II del municipio Cabaiguán fue la unidad seleccionada en la zona urbana y la Clínica Estomatológica Banao del municipio Sancti Spíritus en la zona rural. La muestra fueron 388 pacientes y 24 estomatólogos. Las variables: calidad del servicio, estructura, proceso y resultado, se utilizaron métodos del nivel teórico, empírico (encuesta) y de la estadística descriptiva. Resultados: En el servicio rural los pacientes estuvieron satisfechos en un 57.8 % y en el urbano en un 51.9 %; los profesionales se mostraron medianamente satisfechos en ambos servicios con 50.0 % y 71.4 % respectivamente. Conclusiones: La calidad de la atención estomatológica en la zona urbana fue evaluada de bien y en la rural de regular. Algunos indicadores de las variables estructura y resultado se identificaron con dificultad (AU)

ABSTRACT Background: The quality of dental care is characterized in the process and factors that interfere in the provision of services, aimed at achieving good results in terms of oral health. Objective: To evaluate the quality of dental care of two General Comprehensive Stomatology services in Sancti Spíritus province. Methodology: An investigation was carried out on the system and health service in Sancti Spíritus province from January to November 2016. From 21 health care units that provide General Comprehensive Stomatology service, two were chosen, one from the urban area and the other from the rural one. The procedure used to make this choice in each zone was the Simple random sample. The Type II Polyclinic in Cabaiguán was the selected unit from the urban area and the Dental Clinic Banao in Sancti Spíritus, from the rural one. The sample consisted of 388 patients and 24 dentists. The variables: quality of service, structure, process and result, methods of theoretical, empirical (survey) and descriptive statistics were used. Results: From the rural service the patient's satisfaction represents 57.8 % and from the urban one 51.9 %; the professional's satisfaction was moderately in both services which represent 50.0 % and 71.4 % respectively. Conclusions: The quality of dental care from the urban area was evaluated as good and from the rural area as regular. Some indicators of the structure and outcome variables were identified with difficulty.

Evaluación de la calidad de la atención estomatológica de dos servicios de Estomatología General Integral. Sancti Spíritus. 2018 / Evaluation of the quality of dental care of two General Comprehensive Stomatology services. Sancti Spíritus. 2018

RESUMEN Fundamento: La calidad de la atención estomatológica está caracterizada en el proceso y factores que intervienen en la prestación de los servicios, dirigidos a alcanzar buenos resultados en lo que a salud bucal se refiere. Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad de la atención estomatológica de dos servicios de Estomatología General Integral de la provincia Sancti Spíritus. Metodología: Se Realizó una investigación en sistema y servicio de salud en la provincia Sancti Spíritus de enero a noviembre del 2016. De las 21 unidades asistenciales que prestan el servicio de Estomatología General Integral, se eligieron dos, una de la zona urbana y otra de la zona rural. El muestreo aleatorio simple fue el proceder que se empleó para efectuar esta elección en cada zona. El Policlínico Tipo II del municipio Cabaiguán fue la unidad seleccionada en la zona urbana y la Clínica Estomatológica Banao del municipio Sancti Spíritus en la zona rural. La muestra fueron 388 pacientes y 24 estomatólogos. Las variables: calidad del servicio, estructura, proceso y resultado, se utilizaron métodos del nivel teórico, empírico (encuesta) y de la estadística descriptiva. Resultados: En el servicio rural los pacientes estuvieron satisfechos en un 57.8 % y en el urbano en un 51.9 %; los profesionales se mostraron medianamente satisfechos en ambos servicios con 50.0 % y 71.4 % respectivamente. Conclusiones: La calidad de la atención estomatológica en la zona urbana fue evaluada de bien y en la rural de regular. Algunos indicadores de las variables estructura y resultado se identificaron con dificultad.

ABSTRACT Background: The quality of dental care is characterized in the process and factors that interfere in the provision of services, aimed at achieving good results in terms of oral health. Objective: To evaluate the quality of dental care of two General Comprehensive Stomatology services in Sancti Spíritus province. Methodology: An investigation was carried out on the system and health service in Sancti Spíritus province from January to November 2016. From 21 health care units that provide General Comprehensive Stomatology service, two were chosen, one from the urban area and the other from the rural one. The procedure used to make this choice in each zone was the Simple random sample. The Type II Polyclinic in Cabaiguán was the selected unit from the urban area and the Dental Clinic Banao in Sancti Spíritus, from the rural one. The sample consisted of 388 patients and 24 dentists. The variables: quality of service, structure, process and result, methods of theoretical, empirical (survey) and descriptive statistics were used. Results: From the rural service the patient's satisfaction represents 57.8 % and from the urban one 51.9 %; the professional's satisfaction was moderately in both services which represent 50.0 % and 71.4 % respectively. Conclusions: The quality of dental care from the urban area was evaluated as good and from the rural area as regular. Some indicators of the structure and outcome variables were identified with difficulty.

[The necessary ethical questioning regarding the caring relationship in dental telemedicine]. / Le nécessaire questionnement éthique autour de la relation de soin en télémédecine bucco-dentaire.

Technological innovations in the fields of medical imaging and communication have enabled the rise of dental telemedecine. By transforming the usual caring relationship, dental telemedicine virtualizes the medical procedure and generates a mutation of the classical relational model that rearticulates the relationship between the dentist and the patient. It introduces a positive lever that must stay up to the appraisal of the benefit-risk equation, that an ethical questioning will help to evaluate for every patient. Dental telemedicine must be understood as a mean, and not as an end. It must not be fantasized as a universal dental care model. It seems to be recommanded to investigate systematically the technological innovations and the development of protocols thanks to ethical guidelines in order to evaluate a priori and a posteriori any kind of progress that might be considered.

Historia de los servicios estomatológicos en el municipio de Colón / History to the service of dentistry in Colon municipality

La Estomatología en el municipio de Colón ha pasado por diversos momentos, hoy toma dimensiones cualitativamente superiores, que contribuyen a elevar la salud bucal y la calidad de vida de la población. Se considera pionera en la atención estomatológica. El objetivo es revelar la historia de los servicios de Odontología, en el municipio (AU).

Dentistry, in the municipality of Colon has gone through different moments. Nowadays it is taking qualitatively higher dimensions contributing to improve the population´s oral health and life quality. It is considered a pioneer in dental care. The aim is telling the history of Odontology services in the municipality (AU).

Historia de los servicios estomatológicos en el municipio de Colón / History to the service of dentistry in Colon municipality

La Estomatología en el municipio de Colón ha pasado por diversos momentos, hoy toma dimensiones cualitativamente superiores, que contribuyen a elevar la salud bucal y la calidad de vida de la población. Se considera pionera en la atención estomatológica. El objetivo es revelar la historia de los servicios de Odontología, en el municipio (AU).

Dentistry, in the municipality of Colon has gone through different moments. Nowadays it is taking qualitatively higher dimensions contributing to improve the population´s oral health and life quality. It is considered a pioneer in dental care. The aim is telling the history of Odontology services in the municipality (AU).

[Treatment goals in FACE philosophy]. / Les objectifs thérapeutiques de la philosophie FACE.

INTRODUCTION: The FACE philosophy is characterized by clearly defined treatment goals: facial esthetics, dental esthetics, periodontal health, functional occlusion, neuromuscular mechanism and joint function. The purpose is to establish ideal occlusion with good facial esthetics and an orthopedic stable joint position. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors present all the concepts of FACE philosophy and illustrate them through one case report. RESULTS: Taking into account all the FACE philosophy concepts increases diagnostic ability and improves the quality and stability of treatment outcomes. DISCUSSION: The goal of this philosophy is to harmonize the facial profile, tooth alignment, periodontium, functional occlusion, neuromuscular mechanism and joint function. The evaluation and treatment approach to vertical problems are unique to the philosophy.

Could Ethical Tensions in Oral Healthcare Management Revealed by Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Caregivers Explain Unmet Oral Health Needs? Participatory Research with Focus Groups.

BACKGROUND: Cognitively impaired patients often present poor oral health status that may be explained by ethical tensions in oral healthcare management. This participatory study explored such tensions among adults with intellectual disabilities and with caregivers. The second objective was to specify, with caregivers, the points that should be developed in a future study among dentists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three focus groups involving adults with intellectual disabilities, family caregivers and professional caregivers were organized in France in 2013. RESULTS: The thematic content analysis identified discrepancies between experiences and expectations, which were particularly marked for the dentist's competence and attitudes, the dentist's role in decisions, the dental care management and the French socio-political context. CONCLUSIONS: These discrepancies could partly explain multiple attempts to find the 'right' dentist or the fact that care was abandoned, and could at least contribute to oral health needs being unmet.

Ethical considerations in community oral health.

As the public's oral health care needs increase in complexity, there is renewed attention to the ethical dimensions of community oral health decision making and the development of public health ethics in teaching and research in dentistry. Despite their reduction globally, oral diseases persist with a particular distribution pattern that is a reflection of the increasingly widespread inequality in access to community oral health preventive and dental care. This is due to differences in the appropriateness, availability, accessibility, and acceptability of oral health education and the care provided. This article provides an overview of community oral health from an ethical perspective, including the importance of equity, human rights, and social justice in providing oral health care to the underserved. The need for a paradigm shift from highly technical and individualistic dental training curricula is discussed, together with the need to instill a holistic approach to ethical and social responsibility in new dental graduates. It concludes with some possible strategies, using the overarching principles of ethics and bioethics that are applicable to practice among vulnerable populations.

Inquiry in bioethics and the philosophy of medicine: organ donation, defining death, and fairness in distribution.

This issue of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy brings together fresh essays addressing three main genres of questions: (1) questions about the nature of bioethical inquiry and the relevance of the humanities to medical practice; (2) questions regarding the ethics of organ donation; (3) questions bearing on the application of fairness to the distribution of medical resources.

Tough luck and tough choices: applying luck egalitarianism to oral health.

Luck egalitarianism is often taken to task for its alleged harsh implications. For example, it may seem to imply a policy of nonassistance toward uninsured reckless drivers who suffer injuries. Luck egalitarians respond to such objections partly by pointing to a number of factors pertaining to the cases being debated, which suggests that their stance is less inattentive to the plight of the victims than it might seem at first. However, the strategy leaves some cases in which the attribution of individual responsibility is appropriate (and so, it seems, is asking people to pick up the tab for their choices). One such case is oral health or significant aspects of this. It is appropriate, the paper argues, to hold people responsible for a number of factors that affect their oral health. A luck egalitarian approach inspired by John Roemer can assess whether people have acted responsibly by comparing their choices to those of their peers. A luck egalitarian approach to oral health would recommend prioritizing scarce resources in a responsibility-weighted queuing system and include copayment and general taxation among its measures of financing.

Consideraciones sobre el concepto de salud y su enfoque en relación a la salud bucal / Considerations on the concept of health and its approach in relation with buccal health

Generalmente, la salud ha estado vinculada a la enfermedad y de acuerdo al momento histórico, las corrientes de pensamiento y el sistema socioeconómico imperante. Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica, con el objetivo de relacionar algunas consideraciones sobre los conceptos de salud y su enfoque en los diferentes contextos, así como su expresión en la salud bucal. Se utilizaron los motores de búsqueda y base de datos Cochrane, Medline/Pubmed, Lilacs y Scopus. Se obtuvieron un total de 20 referencias relacionadas con la temática estudiada, de ellas el 70 por ciento pertenece a los últimos 5 años. Se analizaron las siguientes consideraciones: en la actualidad existe una tendencia a profundizar en el estudio de todos los elementos que determinan la salud como un producto social. Cualquier definición debe tener en cuenta este aspecto como esencial. La atención sanitaria, que responde a un enfoque predominantemente biologicista, no ha logrado modificar positivamente los indicadores de salud en cuanto a la morbilidad de las enfermedades bucodentales. Es por ello que cualquier política, estrategia o meta en función de lograr o mantener salud, debe dirigirse hacia los determinantes sociales de salud bucal y la aplicación de la intersectorialidad(AU)

Generally, health has been linked to disease, according to the historical moment, thoughts currents and ruling socio-economic system. We carried out a bibliographic review, with the objective of stating some considerations on health concept and its approach in several contexts, and also its expression in buccal health. We used search engines and databases Cochrane, Medline/Pubmed, Lilacs and Scopus. We obtained a total of 20 references related with the studied theme, 70 percent of them published during the last 5 years. We analyzed the following considerations: currently, there is a tendency to deepening in the study of all the elements determining health as a social product. Any definition should take in to the account this aspect as an essential one. Sanitary care, answering to a predominantly biological approach, has not achieved the positive modification of the health indicators in relation with the buccal-dental diseases morbidity.That is why any politics, strategy or target, aimed to achieving or keeping health, should be directed to the buccal health social determinants, applying the interdisciplinarity(AU)