Association between socioeconomic factors, attitudes and beliefs regarding the primary dentition and caries in children aged 1-5 years of Brazilian and Colombian parents.

AIM: To compare how parents' attitudes, knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics influence untreated early childhood caries in infants and preschoolers in Brazil and Colombia. BACKGROUND: Dental caries is a prevalent chronic disease affecting children worldwide. However, little research has explored the connection between parents' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about oral health and the occurrence of dental caries in their children's primary teeth. MATERIALS: Oral health information was evaluated in children aged 3 to 5 years with a questionnaire covering sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables, family information and questions about health knowledge and child's and parents' oral health. In addition, oral examinations have been carried out to determine the prevalence of untreated dental caries. A p-value of 0.05 and 95% reliability level were considered statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Untreated caries in infants and preschoolers are influenced by socioeconomic status, maternal education, sugar consumption, oral hygiene, and parents' beliefs about primary dentition.

Efficacy of two behavioural management techniques during inferior alveolar nerve block administration in pre-school children: a randomised clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of the hands-eyes-mouth distraction technique (HEM-DT) in reducing anxiety and pain levels and improving the behaviour of pre-school children during inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) administration to that of the covering patient's vision technique (CPV-T). METHODS: This study included 52 children aged 3-5 years old with primary dentition, no history of receiving local anaesthesia, and whose treatments required an IANB. These children were randomly assigned into two groups: HEM-DT (G1; n = 26) and CPV-T (G2; n = 26). Anxiety and pain levels were assessed using the Facial Image Scale and the Wong-Baker Scale, respectively, while the patient's behaviour was evaluated using the Frankl Behaviour Scale. This study was divided into two sessions including the treatment session (administration of IANB) and the control session (7 days after anaesthesia). Chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon test were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The patients' anxiety levels did not increase 7 days after IANB in G1 (p value = 0.798); however, higher anxiety levels were observed in the G2 group (p value = 0.039). No significant differences in pain levels and behaviour were observed between the groups during administration of anaesthesia (p value > 0.005). CONCLUSION: HEM-DT and CPV-T showed efficacy in terms of pain and behaviour during IANB administration. Pre-school children in the HEM-DT group exhibited lower anxiety levels in the control session. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER AND DATE OF REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02591797). October 28, 2015.

Parental preferences for dental caries treatment in preschool children according to socio-demographic conditions and beliefs about the primary dentition.

AIM: To assess parental preferences for dental caries treatment and its association with socio-demographic conditions and beliefs about the primary dentition. METHODS: Study design: Cross-sectional study. This study was conducted among 512 parents of 2- to 5-year-old children in the State of Tocantins, in the North Region of Brazil. A self-administered questionnaire on preferences for dental caries treatment, socio-demographic conditions and beliefs about the primary dentition was responded by parents considering two hypothetical clinical scenarios: if their child had one or more asymptomatic caries lesions (without pain), one or more symptomatic caries lesions (toothache). Poisson regression models fitted the association between explanatory variables and the preference to conservative interventions. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that parental preferences for dental caries treatment in preschool children depend on mother's age and education level, as well as on beliefs about the primary dentition.

Risk factors associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality in D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Surgery is the main treatment for gastric cancer. D2 radical gastrectomy is associated with a variable postoperative morbidity and mortality rate worldwide. The aim of the present study was to identify the risk factors associated with the postoperative morbidity and mortality of D2 radical gastrectomy, with curative intent, for gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case series was conducted, in which the medical records were reviewed of patients with gastric cancer that underwent D2 radical gastrectomy, within the time frame of January 2014 and December 2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify the risk factors related to postoperative morbidity and mortality within 90 days. RESULTS: The percentages of postoperative morbidity and mortality in 691 patients were 23.3% and 3.3%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, age ≥70 years (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.25-2.76), ASA III-IV (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.28-3.34), total gastrectomy (OR = 1.96, 95% CI:1.19-3.23), and pancreatosplenectomy (OR = 5.41, 95% CI: 1.42-20.61) were associated with greater postoperative morbidity, and age ≥70 years (OR = 4.92, 95% CI:1.78-13.65), lower BMI (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71-0.92), and hypoalbuminemia (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.98) were associated with greater mortality in distal and total D2 radical gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer was shown to be a safe treatment, with low postoperative morbidity and mortality rates. Age ≥70 years, ASA III-IV, total gastrectomy, and pancreatosplenectomy were factors associated with a higher complication rate. Age ≥70 years, lower BMI, and hypoalbuminemia were mortality predictors in distal and total radical gastrectomy.

Comparison of two behavior management techniques used during mandibular block anesthesia among preschool children: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To compare the Tell-Show-Do Technique (TSD-T) with Hiding Dental-Needle Technique (HDN-T) based on children's anxiety, pain, and behavior during first-time mandibular block anesthesia. METHODS: A total of 52 children aged 3-5 years who had never received dental anesthesia and had at least one mandibular primary molar requiring extraction or pulpal therapy were included in the study. Children were randomly allocated into two groups: G1: TSD-T (n = 26) and G2: HDN-T (n = 26). This study included two sessions: intervention session (baseline) and control session (7 days after intervention). Facial Image Scale and Wong-Baker Pain Scale were used to evaluate anxiety and pain levels, respectively. Frankl Behavior Scale was used to assess children's behavior. RESULTS: Anxiety and pain levels were not statistically significant between G1 and G2 groups (p > 0.05). Similar results were observed for children's behavior rating (p > 0.05). Higher pain level was associated with younger children (rate ratios (RR) = 0.41; p = 0.016) and negative behavior (RR = 1.11; p < 0.001). On the other hand, in within-groups comparisons, there was a statistical difference in anxiety levels between intervention session and control session (p = 0.032) in G2. CONCLUSIONS: Even though there are no differences in the efficacy of TSD-T compared to HDN-T during first-time mandibular block anesthesia in preschool children in terms of children's anxiety, pain, and behavior, children from the HDN-T group can show reduced dental anxiety levels in the control sessions.

Risk factors associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality in D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. / Factores de riesgo asociados con morbilidad y mortalidad postoperatoria en gastrectomía radical D2 por cáncer gástrico.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Surgery is the main treatment for gastric cancer. D2 radical gastrectomy is associated with a variable postoperative morbidity and mortality rate worldwide. The aim of the present study was to identify the risk factors associated with the postoperative morbidity and mortality of D2 radical gastrectomy, with curative intent, for gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case series was conducted, in which the medical records were reviewed of patients with gastric cancer that underwent D2 radical gastrectomy, within the time frame of January 2014 and December 2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify the risk factors related to postoperative morbidity and mortality within 90 days. RESULTS: The percentages of postoperative morbidity and mortality in 691 patients were 23.3% and 3.3%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, age ≥ 70 years (OR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.25-2.76), ASA III-IV (OR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.28-3.34), total gastrectomy (OR=1.96, 95% CI:1.19-3.23), and pancreatosplenectomy (OR=5.41, 95% CI: 1.42-20.61) were associated with greater postoperative morbidity, and age≥70 years (OR=4.92, 95% CI:1.78-13.65), lower BMI (OR=0.81, 95% CI: 0.71-0.92), and hypoalbuminemia (OR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.98) were associated with greater mortality in distal and total D2 radical gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer was shown to be a safe treatment, with low postoperative morbidity and mortality rates. Age≥70 years, ASA III-IV, total gastrectomy, and pancreatosplenectomy were factors associated with a higher complication rate. Age≥70 years, lower BMI, and hypoalbuminemia were mortality predictors in distal and total radical gastrectomy.