The influence of distinct techniques of local dental anesthesia in 9- to 12-year-old children: randomized clinical trial on pain and anxiety.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate pain, disruptive behavior, and anxiety in children undergoing different local dental anesthetic techniques. METHODS: This randomized/parallel clinical trial analyzed three groups of patients (9-12 years old) (n = 35) who received infiltrative anesthesia using conventional (CA), vibrational (VBA), and computer-controlled techniques (CCLAD). The outcomes were pain self-perception (Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBF); Numerical Ranting Scale (NRS)), disruptive behavior (Face, Legg, Activity, Crying, Consolability Scale (FLACC)), anxiety (Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale; modified Venham Picture test (VPTm)), and physiological parameters (systolic (SBP)/diastolic pressure (DBP); heart rate (HR); oxygen saturation (SpO2); respiratory rate (RR)). Statistical analysis was accomplished using Kruskall-Wallis test and ANOVA for repeated measures (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Dental anxiety levels at the baseline were similar for all patients. CA promoted less pain than VBA in WBF (p = 0.018) and NRS (p = 0.006) and CCLAD in WBF (p = 0.029). There were no differences in disruptive behavior (FLACC p = 0.573), anxiety (VPTm p = 0.474), blood pressure (SBP p = 0.954; DBP p = 0.899), heart rate (p = 0.726), oxygen saturation (p = 0.477), and respiratory rate (p = 0.930) between anesthetic techniques. CONCLUSION: Conventional technique resulted in less pain perception for dental local anesthesia. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Conventional technique reduces the self-reported pain in children 9-12 years old, and therefore, the use of additional devices or different anesthetic techniques is not justified.

Evaluation of pain, disruptive behaviour and anxiety in children aging 5-8 years old undergoing different modalities of local anaesthetic injection for dental treatment: a randomised clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of different local anaesthetic techniques in pain, disruptive behaviour and anxiety in children´s dental treatment.Material and methods: This was a randomised and parallel clinical trial. The sample consisted of 105 children (5-8 years old) that were divided into three groups (n = 35) according to the anaesthetic technique: conventional anaesthesia (CA); vibrational anaesthesia (VBA); computer-controlled local anaesthesia delivery (CCLAD). The outcomes were self-perception of pain (Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale - WBF; Numerical Rating Scale - NRS); disruptive behaviour (Face, Legg, Activity, Cry, Consolability Scale - FLACC); anxiety (Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale; modified Venham Picture test - VPTm) and physiological parameters (blood pressure - systolic - SBP and diastolic - DBP; heart rate - HR; oxygen saturation - SpO2; respiratory rate - RR). Data were statistically analysed with Kruskall-Wallis test and ANOVA for repeated measures with Tukey post hoc test (α = 0.05).Results: All the patients exhibited the same level of dental anxiety at baseline (Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale). There was no difference in self-perception pain, irrespective the evaluation tool used (WBF - p = .864; VAS - p = .761). No differences were detected in disruptive behaviour (FLACC - p = .318); anxiety (VPTm - p = .274); blood pressure (SBP - p = .239; DBP - p = .512); heart rate (p = .728); oxygen saturation (p = .348) and respiratory rate (p = .238) between anaesthetic techniques.Conclusion: Different anaesthetic dental local techniques do not affect the levels of pain, disruptive behaviour, anxiety and physiological parameters in children aged 5-8 years old.

Frequency of micronucleus in oral epithelial cells after exposure to mate-tea in healthy humans

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of technique simplification for cytology slides in order to evaluate the frequency of micronuclei (FMic) and conduct a experiment looking to know the FMic of oral epithelial cells of healthy volunteers exposed to mate tea (Ilex paraguarariensis). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a laboratorial and nonrandomized trial (quasi-experiment), where the nonusers subjects were exposed to mate-tea, consumed in the traditional way, two drinks, two times a day for a single week. Two cytology of exfoliated epithelial cells were obtained before and after the mate tea exposition. RESULTS: The sample was composed by 10 volunteers. The age ranged from 18 to 33 years (Mean 23; SD5.5). The use of mate tea did not showed significant variation in the FMic (Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test p= .24). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed technique simplification showed to be reliable, without losses when compared to the conventional technique and with the advantage of eliminate toxic substances, becoming simple and practical tool for research in dentistry. The acute exposure to mate tea did not induce an increase of FMic in exfoliated buccal cells of healthy nondrinkers and nonsmokers subjects and may not have genotoxic effect. More human studies are needed before a conclusion can be made on the oral carcinogenic risk of mate tea to humans

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Julgamento simulado como estratégia de ensino da ética médica / Mock trial as a strategy of the teaching of medical ethics

Este trabalho buscou identificar a percepção dos alunos sobre a importância do julgamento simulado como estratégia de ensino da ética médica em uma escola de medicina. Durante o julgamento simulado do segundo semestre de 2010 compareceram 211 alunos, que responderam um questionário contendo itens escalonados de Likert, no qual foram incluídas três questões específicas sobre a utilização da estratégia: contribuição para a aquisição de conhecimentos sobre ética médica, relevância para a formação profissional e se recomenda a continuidade da atividade na instituição. Os alunos que responderam (definitivamente sim) ou (provavelmente sim) para as três questões escalonadas alcançaram, respectivamente, um total de 96,2 por cento, 93,9 por cento e 92,5 por cento. Este resultado permitiu concluir que, com base na percepção favorável dos estudantes pesquisados, é recomendável a continuidade do julgamento simulado como uma das estratégias de ensino da ética médica na instituição.

This study aimed to identify students’ perceptions about the importance of the mock trial as a strategy for teaching medical ethics in a medical school. During the mock trial of the second term of 2010, students answered a questionnaire with Likert scaled items that in which were included three specific questions about theuse of the strategy: contribution to learn about medical ethics, relevance to the training and if recommendsthe continuation of the activity at the Institution. Two hundred eleven students attended and all respondedto the survey. Students who answered “definitely yes” or “probably yes” to three questions scaled reached,respectively, a total of 96.2%, 93.9% and 92.5%. This result led to conclude that, based on the favorable perception of the students surveyed; it is recommended the continuation of the mock trial as a strategy for theteaching of Medical Ethics at the Institution.

Pain levels after third molar surgical removal: an evaluation of predictive variables.

AIM: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the pain course after surgical removal of third molars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 100 consecutive patients. Pain intensity was assessed by means of a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: At day 1, moderate and severe pain were observed predominantly in patients who had surgery in the mandible (p < 0.001) and for patients younger than 24 years (p = 0.009), while more patients who weekly consumed mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) showed pain classified as none or light (p = 0.017). At day 2, the profile of pain moderate/severe was more prevalent for patients who had surgery in the mandible (p < 0.001) with the report of difficult surgery (p = 0.042) and with odontotomy performed (p = 0.033). In the third postoperative day, severe/moderate pain was associated with surgery in the mandible (p < 0.001) and with odontotomy (p = 0.021) and ostectomy (p = 0.028) performed, with report of long and difficult procedure (p = 0.023), surgeries which last more than sixty minutes (p < 0.026), and for those patients who developed postoperative inflammatory complications (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Higher pain complains could be expected for patients who have long and difficult mandibular third molar surgery characterized by odontotomy and ostectomy. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Pain after third molar surgery is a common sequele. It is indispensable for the dentists to be apt in handling and preventing it as far as possible and know possible variables that may influence or increase these pain levels. It can be a clinical advantage. Better understanding the pain characteristics may guide the dentist through preoperative decisions.

Glucose levels and hemodynamic changes in patients submitted to routine dental treatment with and without local anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to (1) observe the extent to which hemodynamic and glucose measurements change in patients submitted to a dental procedure with and without a local anesthetic and a vasoconstrictor (LAVA; 2% mepivacaine with adrenaline 1100,000) and (2) correlate those parameters with the patients' anxiety levels. METHOD: This was an unblinded, random, prospective, and observational study with paired groups. Patients were evaluated during two different consultations during which they either did or did not receive a local anesthetic/vasoconstrictor. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients ranging in age from 18 to 45 years (mean 30.4 ± 5.5 years) were evaluated. Hemodynamic parameters, including systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and glucose levels, did not change significantly in healthy patients, regardless of whether a LAVA was administered during the dental treatment. CONCLUSION: The patients' anxiety statuses neither varied significantly nor showed any correlation with the studied hemodynamic parameters and glucose levels, regardless of whether local anesthetics were used.

Glucose levels and hemodynamic changes in patients submitted to routine dental treatment with and without local anesthesia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to (1) observe the extent to which hemodynamic and glucose measurements change in patients submitted to a dental procedure with and without a local anesthetic and a vasoconstrictor (LAVA; 2 percent mepivacaine with adrenaline 1100,000) and (2) correlate those parameters with the patients' anxiety levels. METHOD: This was an unblinded, random, prospective, and observational study with paired groups. Patients were evaluated during two different consultations during which they either did or did not receive a local anesthetic/vasoconstrictor. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients ranging in age from 18 to 45 years (mean 30.4 ± 5.5 years) were evaluated. Hemodynamic parameters, including systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and glucose levels, did not change significantly in healthy patients, regardless of whether a LAVA was administered during the dental treatment. CONCLUSION: The patients' anxiety statuses neither varied significantly nor showed any correlation with the studied hemodynamic parameters and glucose levels, regardless of whether local anesthetics were used.