Effect of treatment of transverse maxillary deficiency using rapid palatal expansion on oral health-related quality of life in children: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: This trial aimed to longitudinally evaluate the effect of the treatment of transverse maxillary deficiency using rapid palatal expansion (RPE) on self-perceived oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in children. METHODS: Eighty participants aged 8-10 years with transverse maxillary deficiency and bilateral posterior crossbite were randomly assigned to 2 groups (n = 40 each): a group treated with RPE using hyrax-type appliances and a nontreated control group. OHRQOL was assessed by using the Child Perceptions Questionnaire for 8-10-year-olds at 4 times: before RPE, during RPE (T1), at the end of RPE (T2), and 1 month after the appliance removal (T3). Generalized mixed models were used for data analysis (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Both groups exhibited similar demographic characteristics and OHRQOL scores at baseline. All participants completed the study. RPE had a time-dependent effect on OHRQOL. At T1 and T2, this therapy is expected to increase the overall OHRQOL scores by 1.17 times (ie, ∼17% increase; T1 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.26; T2 95% CI, 1.09-1.27; P = 0.001). In contrast, the overall OHRQOL scores at T3 are expected to be 0.28 times the baseline scores (ie, ∼72% reduction; T3 95% CI, 0.26-0.31; P = 0.001). All individual domains of the OHRQOL evidenced a positive impact of treatment at T3 (P = 0.001). Only the oral symptoms and social well-being domains showed a significantly negative impact of the treatment at T1 and T2. CONCLUSIONS: Correction of the transverse maxillary deficiency by RPE in children aged 8-10 years improves OHRQOL. There is a temporary worsening of OHRQOL during the treatment of this condition using RPE. REGISTRATION: This trial was not registered. PROTOCOL: The protocol was not published before trial commencement. FUNDING: This study was financed by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brazil, Financing Code 001.

Reduction in COVID-19 prevalence in healthcare workers in a university hospital in southern Brazil after the start of vaccination.

INTRODUCTION: The quick spread of SARS-CoV-2 led to the development of vaccines that are capable of reducing infection and the number of more severe COVID-19 cases. AIM: To assess COVID-19 prevalence among healthcare workers (HCWs) after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of COVID-19 diagnosis among 7523 HCWs vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 with CoronaVac and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in a university hospital, in southern Brazil, between January 18 and March 18, 2021.The variables evaluated were: sex, age, work area, role, source of infection, previous diagnosis of COVID-19, date of vaccine administration, type of vaccine, and need for hospitalization. The statistical analysis used Poisson regression and Fisher's exact test with SPSS software version 25, and a level of significance set at 5%. RESULTS: 813 vaccinated HCWs showed symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, of whom 35.4% (288) had a detectable result after undergoing RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. There was a reduction of 62% in new cases of COVID-19 among HCWs in the institution 7 weeks after the start of vaccine rollout. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the vaccines used by the institution reduced the number of COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers, demonstrating the effectiveness of the vaccines.

Autogenous bonding of tooth fragment retained in lower lip after trauma.

In cases of trauma, dental fragments occasionally penetrate into the soft-tissues and may cause severe complications, if neglected. Clinical and radiographic examinations can provide a diagnosis and help in the surgical removal of any dental fragment embedded in soft-tissue. This case report concerns an 8-year-old boy who was diagnosed with a fragment of a fractured permanent central incisor crown located in the lower lip. The patient was seen initially at a general hospital, where the dental fragment went unnoticed. After 2 days, the patient was seen at the pediatric dentistry clinic, where a fragment embedded in the lower lip, causing a large swelling, was diagnosed. The fragment was removed surgically and bonded to the fractured tooth. A mouth guard was prescribed for sports. The importance of soft-tissue exploration even post-trauma was highlighted in this paper.