The influence of anxiety on pain perception and its repercussion on endodontic treatment: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of dental anxiety on the perception of pain before and during endodontic treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PRISMA checklist was followed. A search was conducted in Scopus, Medline/PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Based on PECOS criteria, the first outcome was a possible association between pre-operative pain and anxiety. The second outcome was a possible association between intraoperative pain and anxiety. The type of studies was observational. The JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to evaluate the methodological quality of articles. The certainty of the evidence was analyzed using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Four articles were included with a total of 471 patients. Two studies found a positive association between pain and pre-endodontic treatment anxiety. Three studies investigated the relationship between anxiety and intraoperative pain; two identified an extremely significant positive association. One article noted that anxiety influences pain expectancy. The studies were of good quality as assessed by the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for cross-sectional studies. However, the certainty of the evidence was considered low and very low. CONCLUSIONS: Dental anxiety can be directly associated with pre- and intraoperative pain during endodontic procedures. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is necessary to identify patients with dental anxiety to employ therapies to bring their anxiety under control, avoiding the increase of endodontic infections, and the postponement and evasion of endodontic treatments.

ALDH1 expression and potential clinical implications in chronic inflammatory periapical lesions.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH-1) is a marker of stem cells in a variety of diseases, but its role in individuals with chronic inflammatory periapical lesions remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of cells with a stem cell profile based on the immunoexpression of ALDH-1 in periapical granulomas (PGs) and radicular cysts (RCs). A total of 51 cases of periapical lesions (25 PGs and 26 RCs) were subjected to immunohistochemical study. The anti-ALDH-1 antibody was applied using the immunoperoxidase technique. An immunoexpression score (intensity vs. percentage of cells) was used, with the cases being classified as low expression (score: 0 to 4) and high expression (score: 6 to 9). The Chi-square test was used with a 5% level of significance. Immunoexpression of ALDH-1 was detected in all cases of PGs and RCs. In PG cases, the expression was diffuse in connective tissue cells, with most cases exhibiting high expression (n = 18; 69.2%), while in RC cases the expression revealed focal distribution in cells of the capsule and epithelial cells of the cystic lining, with most cases classified as low expression (n = 18; 72%). Significant differences in the expression scores of ALDH-1 were observed in PGs (p = 0.003). The variable expression of ALDH-1 suggests the presence of cells with stem cell profiles in PGs and RCs. These findings suggest that periapical tissues infiltrated by chronic inflammation can recruit important cells for the repair or evolution of periapical lesions.

Consentimento e esclarecimento: dever e direito à informação em odontologia / Consent and clarification: duty and right to information in dentistry / Consentimiento y aclaración: deber y derecho a la información en odontología

Resumo Estudos acerca do consentimento informado de paciente no âmbito da odontologia são escassos e apresentam divergências, evidenciando a necessidade de aprofundar o conhecimento sobre definições, dinâmica, atos normativos, jurisprudência e limites de responsabilidade diante de fatores diversos e riscos inerentes à profissão. Por meio de revisão bibliográfica que incluiu estudos indexados nas bases de dados SciELO e LILACS, bem como livros-texto, buscou-se definir o que se entende por consentimento livre e esclarecido do paciente, distinguir diferentes tipos e destacar a denominada "escolha esclarecida", considerando que a atividade do cirurgião-dentista é classificada como serviço e é regulamentada pela Constituição Federal de 1988, Código de Defesa do Consumidor, Código Civil e leis especiais. Diante disso, busca-se verificar se é possível melhorar a obtenção do consentimento informado do paciente, transformando-a em processo de escolha esclarecida que considere tratamentos adequadamente indicados cuja finalidade principal é a saúde.

Abstract Studies on informed patient consent in the field of dentistry are scarce and present divergences, highlighting the need to deepen knowledge about definitions, dynamics, normative acts, case law and limits of responsibility in the face of diverse factors and risks inherent to the profession. From a bibliographic review that included studies indexed in the SciELO and LILACS databases, as well as textbooks, this study aimed to define what is meant by a patient's free and informed consent, distinguish different types and highlight the so-called "informed choice," considering that the activity of the dental surgeon is classified as a service and is regulated by the 1988 Federal Constitution of Brazil, the Consumer Defense Code, the Civil Code and special laws. The aim is to see if it is possible to improve the process of obtaining informed consent from patients, transforming it into a process of informed choice that takes into account appropriately indicated treatments whose main purpose is health.

Resumen Los estudios del consentimiento informado del paciente en odontología son escasos y presentan divergencias, lo que revela la necesidad de profundizar en el conocimiento en definiciones, dinámicas, actos normativos, jurisprudencia y límites de responsabilidad frente a diversos factores y riesgos relacionados a la profesión. A partir de una revisión bibliográfica en las bases de datos SciELO y LILACS, y en libros, se buscó definir qué se entiende por consentimiento informado del paciente, distinguir diferentes tipos e identificar la llamada "decisión aclarada", considerando que la actividad del cirujano dental está clasificada como un servicio y reglamentada por la Constitución Federal de 1988, el Código de Defensa del Consumidor, el Código Civil y leyes especiales. Se busca identificar si es posible mejorar el consentimiento informado al convertirlo en un proceso de obtención de decisión aclarada que considere adecuadamente los tratamientos cuya principal finalidad sea la salud.

ALDH1 expression and potential clinical implications in chronic inflammatory periapical lesions

Abstract: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH-1) is a marker of stem cells in a variety of diseases, but its role in individuals with chronic inflammatory periapical lesions remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of cells with a stem cell profile based on the immunoexpression of ALDH-1 in periapical granulomas (PGs) and radicular cysts (RCs). A total of 51 cases of periapical lesions (25 PGs and 26 RCs) were subjected to immunohistochemical study. The anti-ALDH-1 antibody was applied using the immunoperoxidase technique. An immunoexpression score (intensity vs. percentage of cells) was used, with the cases being classified as low expression (score: 0 to 4) and high expression (score: 6 to 9). The Chi-square test was used with a 5% level of significance. Immunoexpression of ALDH-1 was detected in all cases of PGs and RCs. In PG cases, the expression was diffuse in connective tissue cells, with most cases exhibiting high expression (n = 18; 69.2%), while in RC cases the expression revealed focal distribution in cells of the capsule and epithelial cells of the cystic lining, with most cases classified as low expression (n = 18; 72%). Significant differences in the expression scores of ALDH-1 were observed in PGs (p = 0.003). The variable expression of ALDH-1 suggests the presence of cells with stem cell profiles in PGs and RCs. These findings suggest that periapical tissues infiltrated by chronic inflammation can recruit important cells for the repair or evolution of periapical lesions.