Influence of Sexual Hormones on Neural Orofacial Perception.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the trigeminal somatosensory (thermal, pain, tactile, vibratory, and electric), gustative (salty, bitter, sweet, sour), and olfactory thresholds in healthy women during the menstrual cycle and investigate any association with estradiol and progesterone levels in saliva. METHODS: We examined/tested 39 women between age 19 and 47 years and with regular menstrual cycles and no comorbidities. All women were informed about the purposes of the study, and only those who signed the informed consent were included. The tests were performed at three stages within the cycle: menstrual phase, follicular phase, and luteal phase. The procedure consisted of saliva collection at the beginning of each session to measure hormone levels, salivary flow, somatosensory evaluation with quantitative sensory testing applied to the right trigeminal maxillary branch and right forearm, gustative (sweet [glucose], salt [sodium chloride], sour [citric acid], and bitter [urea]) and olfactory (isopropanol at different concentrations) thresholds. RESULTS: During the menstrual cycle, thresholds for sweet, salty, sour, cold, vibration, and deep pain decreased, but warmth, electrical, and superficial pain thresholds increased. The bitter threshold was high, and the olfactory threshold was low in the follicular phase. Low estrogen levels were correlated to high deep pain thresholds in the forearm ( P = 0.008) and face ( P = 0.041), high tactile thresholds ( P = 0.001), and high superficial pain ( P = 0.006) thresholds in the face. High levels of progesterone were associated with a high deep pain threshold in the face and a high salty threshold ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Estrogen and progesterone seem to be involved in sensory neuromodulation in women during the menstrual cycle.

Antibiotic Prescription in Endodontics: A Transversal Observational Study Comparing Dental Students and General Dental Practitioners in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate and compare antibiotic prescriptions for endodontic infections of last-year undergraduate Dentistry students and dental surgeons from Brazil. Material and Methods: A questionnaire comprised of 15 questions was applied, including a series of hypothetical clinical cases through multiple choice questions. The survey respondents had the option to respond in favor or against the prescription of antimicrobials in each case. Afterwards, the commented answer keys of all topics contained in the survey form were released for educational purpose. Results: A total of 42 undergraduates and 115 dental surgeons answered the survey. Regarding the questions about antimicrobial prescriptions, 91.3% of the professional dentists and 69.8% of the dentistry students indicated that they prescribe antibiotics for a limited number of patients. However, when they responded about drug recommendations, most professionals (76.5%) and students (76.7%) chose to recommend antimicrobials without any clinical recommendation. Conclusion: In the groups herein evaluated, many antibiotic prescriptions could have been avoided. The rational use of these drugs is still a conduct that needs further disclosure and commitment among prescribers.

A importância de um protocolo preventivo no atendimento odontológico de pacientes fissurados: uma revisão sistemática da literatura / The importance of a preventive protocol in dental care of patients with cleft lip and palate: a systematic review of literature

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi revisar sistematicamente na literatura publicações relacionadas ao protocolo de atendimento do cirurgião-dentista frente a pacientes com fissura labiopalatal. Métodos: Foram revisados artigos publicados até março de 2018, nas línguas inglesa, portuguesa e espanhola, obtidos por meio de buscas nas bases eletrônicas PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, Bireme, SciELO e busca manual nas referências dos artigos encontrados. Resultados: A busca resultou em 141 artigos, onde após a aplicação dos critérios de exclusão foram obtidos quatro artigos. Os artigos selecionados eram de revisão de literatura, o que impossibilitou a realização de uma revisão sistemática da literatura. Todos os artigos foram lidos na íntegra e resultaram em um protocolo de atendimento dividido de acordo com as fases de erupção dental, com ênfase na prevenção. O protocolo foi separado em: fase pré-eruptiva e de dentição decídua, dentadura mista e dentição permanente. Na fase pré-eruptiva e de dentição decídua a orientação é dar ênfase na prevenção, na fase de dentadura mista tem-se o início da ortodontia preventiva além da manutenção das ações preventivas e na fase de dentição permanente trabalha-se novamente com a prevenção inicia-se a ortodontia fixa e quando necessário a realização de cirurgia ortognática. Conclusão: Em relação aos achados, fica evidente a importância da prevenção durante todas as fases, visando a manutenção do perímetro da arcada, e manutenção da integridade dos dentes permanentes. O cirurgião-dentista deve estar apto a realizar o atendimento tendo como base um protocolo para efetuar o manejo correto conforme a faixa etária e a fase de erupção dental em que o paciente se encontra. O aprimoramento do cirurgião-dentista na abordagem aos pacientes portadores de fissura labiopalatal deve ser constante, bem como a criação de vínculo afetivo com o paciente e a família visando um tratamento preciso e humanizado. (AU)

Aim: This study sought to systematically review publications in the literature related to the Dentist's Protocol as regards palatal cleft patients. Methods:This study reviewed articles published up to March 2018, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, obtained through data searches on PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, Bireme, SciELO, as well as through a manual search in the references of the identified articles. Results: The search resulted in 141 articles; after the application of the exclusion criteria, four articles were selected. The selected articles were literature reviews, making it impossible to conduct a systematic review of the literature. All of the obtained articles were read in full, resulting in a care protocol that was divided according to the dental eruption stages, with emphasis on prevention. The protocol was divided into: the pre-eruptive and deciduous dentition stage, mixed denture, and permanent dentition. In the pre-eruptive and deciduous dentition stage, the dental advice is to emphasize prevention; in the mixed dentition stage, there is the beginning of preventive orthodontics as well as the maintenance of preventive actions; while in the permanent dentition stage, one again works with prevention. fixed orthodontics is begun, and when necessary, orthognathic surgery is also applied. Conclusion: Regarding the findings, the importance of prevention during all stages is clear, in an attempt maintain the perimeter of the dental arch and the integrity of the permanent teeth. The dentist should be able to perform the service based on a protocol for the correct handling according to the age range and dental eruption stage of the patient. The improvement of the dentist in providing dental care to patients with cleft lip and palate should be constant, as should the creation of an affective bond with the patient and the family, aimed at providing a precise and humanized treatment. (AU)