Relationship between oral health literacy of caregivers and the oral health-related quality of life of children: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate oral health decisions. However, scientific evidence about the oral health literacy of caregivers and the children's oral health-related quality of life. The purpose of this study was to verify the relationship between the level of oral health literacy of caregivers and the children's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL). METHODS: This study was conducted with children aged 2 to 4 in Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil. Six hundred thirty children were examined to assess the prevalence of dental caries (dmft index). Parents were interviewed to obtain sociodemographic status, oral conditions, and oral health literacy (OHL). The variable outcome was the children's OHRQOL as assessed by the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). We fitted zero-inflated negative binomial regression (ZINB) models to evaluate associations between the study outcome and covariates in terms of PR (Prevalence Ratios), RR (Rate Ratios), and their respective Confidence Intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: Children's OHRQOL was not associated with OHL. Dental caries had a negative impact on the children's quality of life (p < 0.05). A reduced impact on OHRQOL is also associated with having siblings (PR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.52-0.95). A higher age of the mother reduced OHRQOL impacts (PR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: The factors associated with children's OHRQOL were the number of siblings, the mothers' age, and dental caries. This study observed no association between parental OHL and children's OHRQOL.

Analysis of the combined risk of oral problems in the oral health-related quality of life of Brazilian adolescents: multilevel approach.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined risk of oral problems in the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents aged 15 to 19 years in São Paulo state (Brazil) in the year of 2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the São Paulo State Oral Health Survey (SBSP-15) and the contextual characteristics of the cities of São Paulo state, evaluated in the year 2015 were accessed. Correlations were made between contextual factors (i.e., coverage of the family health team, average supervised tooth brushing, number of first dental appointments, and average income), individual sociodemographic variables (i.e., ethnicity, gender, and schooling) and dental problems (dental pain, caries, overjet, open bite, indication for endodontic and exodontic treatment, gingival bleeding, and dental trauma). These variables were correlated with the quality of life of the adolescents using the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) index. Multilevel Poisson regressions were performed to calculate the rate ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: According to the bivariate analysis, the presence of low (RR, 1.62; 95% CI 1.07-2.46) and very intense (RR, 2.53, 95% CI 1.92-3.34) dental pain, indication for endodontic (RR, 1.31; 95% CI 1.05-1.63) or for exodontic (RR, 1.31; 95% CI 1.06-1.63) treatment, and gingival bleeding (RR, 1.41; 95% CI 1.11-1.80) reduced the quality of life of adolescents. All domains of OIDP scores were associated between healthy and unhealthy individuals (p < 0.001) increasing mean scores with combined oral health problems. Higher impact on quality of life was associated with simultaneous presence of dental pain, gingival bleeding, and indication for exodontic treatment (RR, 6.03; 95% CI, 4.02-9.04) in the adolescents. CONCLUSION: Individual and contextual factors and the various dental problems are independently associated with the quality of life of Brazilian adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, especially when they are associated with the perception of intense dental pain, gingival bleeding, and indication for exodontic treatment, with up to six times greater impact on OIDP. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The study highlighted the importance for an integral treatment in adolescents, considering that the associated risk of several dental diseases can progressively affect the quality of life of this population.

Is reduced dentition with and without dental prosthesis associate with oral health-related quality of life? A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has important implications for the clinical practice of dentistry and dental research and should contribute to professional judgment about restorative treatments and prosthetic replacement in patients who had reduced dentitions. The aim was to compare the OHRQoL among adults (35-44 years) categorized according to different definitions of reduced dentition and considering the use (or non-use) of dental prosthesis. METHODS: This study used data from a probabilistic sample of adults in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2015. OHRQoL was based on none items of Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) index, as prevalence (at least one impact) and extent (the number of items with non-zero score). We used different criteria to assess dentition status: (1) Shortened Dental Arch (SDA): having 3-5 natural occlusal units (OUs) in posterior teeth and intact anterior region; (2) hierarchical functional classification system: a five-level stepwise classification of dentition; and (3) presence of ≥21 teeth. The use or nonuse of dental prosthesis was recorded. Negative binomial regression models involved the adjustment for social determinants of health. RESULTS: Nearly half (53.1%) of the 5753 participating adults had at least one oral health issue impacting OHRQoL. OIDP prevalence in adults with SDA did not differ from those with more OUs (PR = 1.02; 95%CI 0.91-1.13). Individuals with non-functional dentition had worse OHRQoL regardless of their use of a dental prosthesis. Adults with fewer than 21 remaining teeth, ranked significantly higher in OIDP extent, regardless of dental prosthesis use (PR = 1.38; 95%CI 1.16-1.63 with prosthesis; PR = 1.62; 95%CI 1.19-2.20 without dental prosthesis). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with more missing teeth reported worse OHRQoL regardless of using a dental prosthesis. Preserving a functional dentition, even with missing teeth, is compatible with OHRQoL.

Individual and contextual factors associated with traumatic dental injuries in a population of Brazilian adolescents.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) stand out as one of the major public health problems worldwide, characterized by a high prevalence in children and adolescents. However, their association with the 15-19 years age group has not been fully described. The aim of this study was to evaluate TDIs in a population of Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: An association study was performed with 5558 adolescents attending the São Paulo State Oral Health Survey (SBSP-15). Individual predisposing variables (gender, age, schooling, ethnic, overjet, and molar relationship); contextual predisposing (city size and Municipal Human Development Index); individual enabling (per capita income and type of service used); contextual enabling (number of dentists, family health team coverage, and family median income); individual need (satisfaction and perception regarding treatment) and contextual needs (average supervised brushing, number of visits, and dental extractions per city), as well as health behaviors were analyzed. Andersen's behavioral model was used for the data analysis. A multilevel logistic regression with fixed effects was performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR), with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The prevalence of TDIs in adolescents was 1.42% (95% CI: 0.94-2.13). Individual and contextual factors of need, predisposing factors, facilitators, and health behaviors were associated with TDIs. In the adjusted analysis, gender (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.53), mean family income (OR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.35-4.69), number of dental visits (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.19-0.84), and time of last visit (OR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.46-4.77) remained significant concerning trauma. CONCLUSION: At least one variable of the individual and contextual predisposing, enabling, and need factors (except for individual enabling variables) were associated with dental trauma in Brazilian adolescents aged 15-19 years. This information may help with the planning of preventive actions and dental treatment, especially in mid-sized and large cities.

The influence of normative and subjective oral health status on schoolchildren's happiness.

BACKGROUND: Traditional methods to measure oral health based on clinical standards are limited because they do not consider psychosocial and functional aspects of oral health. It has been recommended that these measures need to be supplemented by data obtained from patients regarding their individual perceptions on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Happiness is a multidimensional construct comprising both emotional and cognitive domains, and has been defined as "the degree to which an individual judges the overall quality of his or her life as a whole favorably". It has been associated with several health outcomes, including oral health. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of oral health conditions, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and socioeconomic factors on the subjective happiness of Brazilian adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 on a representative sample of 12-year-old schoolchildren in Santa Maria-RS, Brazil. The data were collected through dental examinations and structured interviews. The participants underwent an evaluation aimed at detecting dental caries, traumatic dental injuries, malocclusion, and gingival bleeding. They also completed the Brazilian versions of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire-short form (CPQ11-14-ISF: 16) and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), which was our outcome variable. Socioeconomic conditions were evaluated through a questionnaire that was completed by the participants' parents. Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the association between the explanatory variables and the outcome. Moreover, a correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the SHS scores and the overall and domain scores of the CPQ11-14-ISF: 16. RESULTS: A total of 1,134 children were evaluated. Unadjusted analyses showed that happiness was associated with socioeconomic indicators, the use of dental services, clinical status, and scores on the OHRQoL measure. After adjustment, household overcrowding (RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.98), dental caries (RR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97-0.99), malocclusion (RR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99), and the severity associated with the CPQ11-14 (RR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.93-0.97) still showed a significant association with lower levels of the mean SHS score. CONCLUSIONS: Happiness is influenced by oral conditions, socioeconomic status, and OHRQoL.

Assessing individual and neighborhood social factors in child oral health-related quality of life: a multilevel analysis.

PURPOSE: It has been suggested that subjective measures of oral health are influenced by both individual and contextual characteristics. This study assessed the relationship between neighborhood and individual social networks and child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). METHODS: This study followed a cross-sectional design using a multistage sample of 478 children aged 1-5 years old. Caregivers completed the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and answered questions related to socioeconomic status and social network. The dental examination provided information on the prevalence of dental caries, dental trauma, and occlusion. Contextual social determinants included the presence of cultural community centers and of workers' association in the neighborhood. Data analysis considered the total ECOHIS scores as the outcome and neighborhood/individual social networks as the independent variables. A multilevel Poisson regression model was used to investigate the association among individual and contextual characteristics and COHRQoL. RESULTS: Total ECOHIS scores ranged from 0 to 41 (possible range 0-52). The mean ECOHIS score was low (mean = 1.8, SD = 3.9), and the functional domain presented the highest mean impact on COHRQoL (mean = 0.5, SD = 1.4). Following adjusted analysis, low household income, visiting a neighbor less than once a month, the presence of anterior open bite, dental trauma, and dental caries were identified as individual determinants of negative impact on a child's quality of life. These variables remained associated with the outcome even after adding the contextual-level variables in the model. At the contextual level, the presence of community cultural centers was associated with overall mean ECOHIS score; higher impacts on COHRQoL were observed in those living in neighborhoods without cultural community centers. CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between individual and contextual social determinants and COHRQoL; unfavorable social conditions and poor socioeconomic status have a negative impact on caregiver reports of children's oral health-related quality of life.

Predictive factors for pulp necrosis in traumatized primary incisors: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess factors associated with occurrence of pulp necrosis (PN) in traumatized primary incisors, which may contribute to the prognosis of this outcome. DESIGN: Data were collected by single examiner through the analysis of clinical files of traumatized patients. The occurrence of PN in traumatized teeth was the evaluated outcome. Poisson regression analysis was applied to calculate the relative risk (RR) and the respective 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Five hundred and twenty-one files were assessed, summing up 727 traumatized primary incisors. The proportion of teeth affected by PN was 23.8%. Multiple regression analysis indicated the following factors as positively associated with PN: trauma with displacement, pulp exposure fracture, self-report of pain, yellow, grey and brown crown discoloration, internal root resorption, and bone loss. Trauma in 4- to 5-year old and more than 5-year-old children, pulp canal obliteration, and external root resorption with bone formation were negatively associated with PN. CONCLUSIONS: Teeth that suffered more aggressive injuries, pain, some types of discoloration, and other radiographic findings (for instance, internal root resorption) are positively associated with the occurrence of PN. On the other hand, trauma in older children, canal obliteration, or external resorption show less probability of PN.

Influence of children's oral health-related quality of life on school performance and school absenteeism.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the relation of child oral health-related quality of life with school performance and school absenteeism. METHODS: We followed a cross-sectional design with a multistage random sample of 312 12-year-old schoolchildren living in Brazil. The participants completed the child perceptions questionnaire (CPQ(11-14) ) that provides information about psychological factors, while their parents or guardians answered questions on their socioeconomic status measured by parents' education level and household income. A dental examination of each child provided information on the prevalence of caries and dental trauma. Data on school performance, which included the results of baseline Brazilian language (Portuguese) tests, and school absenteeism (school days missed) were obtained from the school register. Multilevel linear regression was used to investigate the association among psychological and socioeconomic status and children's school performance. RESULTS: In the multiple model, after adjusting for individual covariates, being a girl was associated with higher school performance (P < 0.05), whereas low household income (P < 0.05), higher mean of CPQ(11-14) (P < 0.05), and higher school days missed (P < 0.001) were identified as individual determinants of lower school performance. When the school-level covariates were included in the model, the association between subjects' level characteristics and school performance still persisted. CONCLUSION: Children's school performance and absence were influenced by psychological and socioeconomic conditions.

[Consumption of animal-derived foods and mouth and oropharyngeal cancer]. / Consumo de alimentos de origem animal e câncer de boca e orofaringe.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the relationship between animal-derived foods and mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. METHODS: Hospital-based case-control study matched by sex and age (± 5 years) with data collected between July of 2006 and June of 2008. The sample contained 296 patients with mouth and oropharyngeal cancer and 296 patients without a cancer history who were treated in four hospitals in the City of São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil. A semistructured questionnaire was administered to collect data regarding socioeconomic condition and harmful habits (tobacco and alcoholic beverage consumption). To assess eating habits, a qualitative questionnaire that asked about the frequency of food consumption was used. The analysis was rendered by means of multivariate logistic regression models that considered the existing hierarchy among the characteristics studied. RESULTS: Among foods of animal origin, frequent consumption of beef (OR = 2.73; CI95% = 1.27-5.87; P < 0.001), bacon (OR = 2.48; CI95% = 1.30-4.74; P < 0.001) and eggs (OR = 3.04; CI95% = 1.51-6.15; P < 0.001) was linked to an increased risk of mouth and oropharyngeal cancer, in both the univariate and multivariate analyses. Among dairy products, milk showed a protective effect against the disease (OR = 0.41; CI95% = 0.21-0.82; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study affirms the hypothesis that animal-derived foods can be etiologically linked to mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. This information can guide policies to prevent these diseases, generating public health benefits.

How oral health literacy and parental behavior during the meals relate to dental caries in children.

This cross-sectional study aimed to verify the influence of parental behavior on the development of dental caries in children by assessing parents' behavior during their children's meals and their parental level of oral health literacy. This study was conducted with children aged 2 to 4 in Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil. Six hundred and thirty children were examined to assess the prevalence of dental caries (dmft index). Parents answered a questionnaire related to socio-demographic conditions, oral health literacy (OHL), and the parents' behavior during the meal - Parent Mealtime Action Scale - (PMAS). The analysis fitted zero-inflated negative binomial regression (ZINB) models to assess unadjusted and adjusted associations between the study outcome and covariates. In the unadjusted analysis, the child's age, the number of siblings, household crowding, family income, socioeconomic status and OHL were associated with the outcome (p <0.05). In the adjusted model, dental caries was more prevalent among 3- (PR: 1.85, 95%CI: 1.19-2.87) and 4-year-old children (PR: 2.43, 95%CI: 1.60-3.71), those with at least one sibling (PR: 1.66, 95%CI:1.18-2.33). Poor children were more likely to have dental caries (PR: 0.66, 95%CI: 0.48-0.91); the Use of Rewards dimension of the PMAS was associated positively with dental caries severity (RR: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.84-0.97). Although OHL was not associated with caries, parents' mealtime behaviors were related to dental caries. This suggested that communication between parents and children related to good eating practices could play a protective role against dental caries in children.

Self-assessed masticatory function and frailty in Brazilian older adults: the FIBRA Study.

OBJETIVE: To investigate the relationship between the masticatory function and the frailty of older people. METHODS: Exploratory cross-sectional study using secondary data from the FIBRA Project on the frailty conditions of older people living in urban areas of six Brazilian municipalities, from 2008 to 2009. The population consisted of older adults aged 65 and over with no cognitive impairment. A single session identification questionnaire and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were applied, followed by collecting sociodemographic data and data on the participants' self-assessment of masticatory function, general health, and oral health. RESULTS: 2,341 older people (164 frail older adults), of whom 63.2% reported not having seen a dentist in the last year, and approximately 26% of them had three or more functional feeding problems. Older participants (OR = 2.88; 95%CI: 2.01-4.13), who are retired (OR = 2.31; 95%CI: 1.18-5.53), those who were depressed (OR = 2.31; 95%CI: 1.58-3.38), and those who self-assessed their general health as worse compared to others of the same age (OR = 3.91; 95%CI: 2.39-6.40) were at higher risk of frailty. Three or more problems related to the functional aspects of mastication were associated with a greater chance of frailty (OR = 2.06; 95%CI: 1.25-3.41). CONCLUSION: This study found an association between masticatory function and a greater chance of frailty among the studied population.

Inequalities in dental services utilization among Brazilian low-income children: the role of individual determinants.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of the individual determinants on the inequalities of dental services utilization among low-income children living in the working area of Brazilian's federal Primary Health Care program, which is called Family Health Program (FHP), in a big city in Southern Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study was performed. The sample included 350 children, ages 0 to 14 years, whose parents answered a questionnaire about their socioeconomic conditions, perceived needs, oral hygiene habits, and access to dental services. The data analysis was performed according to a conceptual framework based on Andersen's behavioral model of health services use. Multivariate models of logistic regression analysis instructed the hypothesis on covariates for never having had a dental visit. RESULTS: Thirty one percent of the surveyed children had never had a dental visit. In the bivariate analysis, higher proportion of children who had never had a dental visit was found among the very young, those with inadequate oral hygiene habits, those without perceived need of dental care, and those whose family homes were under absent ownership. The mechanisms of social support showed to be important enabling factors: children attending schools/kindergartens and being regularly monitored by the FHP teams had higher odds of having gone to the dentist, even after adjusting for socioeconomic, demographic, and need variables. CONCLUSIONS: The conceptual framework has confirmed the presence of social and psychosocial inequalities on the utilization pattern of dental services for low-income children. The individual determinants seem to be important predictors of access.

Deprived areas and community water fluoridation in Brazil: a multilevel approach for refocusing public policy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether geographic location, socioeconomic status, infant mortality, and mortality from diarrheal disease in health regions are associated with the provision of community water fluoridation (CWF) in Brazilian municipalities. METHODS: A multilevel ecological study was conducted based on data from the National Survey of Basic Sanitation and Human Development Atlas. A multilevel analysis was carried out considering Brazilian municipalities as the first level and health regions as the second level, comprising sanitation, demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. RESULTS: The observation units comprised 5,565 municipalities clustered in 438 health regions in Brazil. The lack of CWF provision was positively associated with the following municipal characteristics: a below-median proportion of inhabitants covered by the sewage network, medium to very low human development index, below-median per capita gross domestic product, and an above-median percentage of expenditures on sanitation. In relation to the health regions, the likelihood of a lack of CWF provision was greater in the municipalities belonging to the health regions located in the Northern and Northeastern areas of Brazil and in those where child mortality due to acute diarrheal disease and the proportion of people with low income were higher when adjusted by municipal indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Information on the characteristics associated with CWF provision constitutes important input for refocusing public policy to reduce inequalities among Brazilian municipalities and health regions. These findings may help policy-makers to understand the challenges facing CWF expansion in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of dental procedures performed by the Brazilian Unified Health System: a syndemic perspective.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of dental care procedures performed by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) nationally and by regions. Considering that the most underprivileged population disproportionately suffers with the reduction in dental care provision, the study hypothesis suggests the presence of a syndemic nature. METHODOLOGY: The SUS Outpatient Information System (SIA-SUS) was assessed to gather data on dental care activities and procedures performed between April and July 2018, 2019, and 2020 by dentists registered in the SUS. The 30 most frequent activities and procedures performed by dentists were selected and classified into three categories (urgent dental care, nonemergency dental care, and case-dependent urgency procedures), based on the guidance for dental care during the pandemic published by the American Dental Association. RESULTS: Results demonstrated a reduction in the provision of dental care of all categories during the pandemic. Urgency dental consultations and procedures in primary and specialized dental care services decreased by 42.5 and 44.1%, respectively, between 2020 and 2019. Non-urgent procedures decreased by 92.3%. Although decreases in dental care activities and procedures were reported in all Brazilian regions, the largest relative decreases in urgent procedures - that should have been maintained during the pandemic - occurred in the North and Northeast regions, which are the poorest regions of the country. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has a syndemic behavior. Further investigation into the pandemic-syndemic impacts on oral disease burden is necessary.

[Timeframe for initiating oral cancer treatment in Brazil since approval of new legislation in 2012: time trend, 2013-2019]. / Tempo máximo para o início do tratamento do câncer de boca no Brasil após a publicação da legislação de 2012: tendência no período 2013-2019.

The study aimed to investigate whether the maximum delay (60 days) for initiating oral cancer treatment following diagnosis, as provided in Federal Law n. 12,732/2012, was achieved in Brazil from 2013 to 2019 and to describe the trend in the number of cases that initiated treatment within this timeframe. A time series was performed with treatment data (N = 37,417) from the Oncology Dashboard of the Brazilian Health Informatics Department (DATASUS) database, according to the patient's region of residence. Analysis of trend used Prais-Winsten regression. In 2018 and 2019, we observed higher percentages of treatments within 60 days, and especially within 30 days. In 2019, 61.5% of treatments began within 60 days, with the highest proportions in the South (71.3%), Southeast (60.1%), and Central-west (59.1%) regions of Brazil. The time trend for the category from 0-60 days was upward in the North of Brazil, with 15.7% annual percent change (APC), and was stationary in the other four major geographic regions of Brazil. The time trend for 0-30 days was only upward in the North and Northeast, with APCs of 29.75% and 20.56%, respectively. In conclusion, since 2018 there were more cases that initiated oral cancer treatment within the stipulated timeframe, as provided in Law n. 12,732/2012 (up to 60 days), with regional differences and a stationary trend in most regions and in Brazil as a whole. Partial achievement of the target, the predominance of a stationary trend, and regional inequalities indicate the need to continue monitoring time-to-treatment for oral cancer in Brazil and to intensify efforts to guarantee timely healthcare.

O estudo buscou investigar se o tempo máximo de demora (60 dias) para o início do tratamento dos pacientes com câncer de boca a partir do diagnóstico, previsto na Lei Federal nº 12.732/2012, foi alcançado no Brasil no período de 2013-2019 e descrever a tendência do número de casos que iniciaram o tratamento no tempo máximo. Realizou-se um estudo de séries temporais utilizando dados dos tratamentos (N = 37.417) do Painel-Oncologia, disponível no Departamento de Informática do SUS (DATASUS), segundo região de residência dos pacientes. Para análise da tendência executou-se a regressão de Prais-Winsten. Nos anos 2018 e 2019 foram observados percentuais mais elevados para os tratamentos em até 60 dias, sendo mais acentuado no intervalo de até 30 dias. Em 2019, 61,5% dos tratamentos iniciaram em até 60 dias, com maiores proporções nas regiões Sul (71,3%), Sudeste (60,1%) e Centro-oeste (59,1%). A tendência temporal da categoria 0-60 dias foi crescente na Região Norte, com variação percentual anual (VPA) de 15,7% e estacionária nas demais regiões e para o Brasil. A tendência do tempo de 0-30 dias foi crescente apenas para as regiões Norte e Nordeste, com VPA de 29,75% e 20,56%, respectivamente. Conclui-se que a partir de 2018 houve um maior número de casos que iniciaram o tratamento do câncer de boca no tempo de demora, conforme previsto na Lei nº 12.732/2012 (até 60 dias), com diferenças regionais e tendência estacionária na maioria das regiões e no Brasil. O alcance parcial da meta, o predomínio da tendência estacionária e as desigualdades regionais indicam a necessidade de continuar monitorando o tempo de demora para o início do tratamento do câncer no país e intensificar esforços para garantir o cuidado em saúde.

El estudio tuvo como meta investigar si el tiempo máximo de demora (60 días) para el inicio del tratamiento de los pacientes con cáncer de boca, a partir del diagnóstico previsto en la Ley Federal nº 12.732/2012, se alcanzó en Brasil durante el período 2013-2019, y describir la tendencia del número de casos que comenzaron el tratamiento en el tiempo máximo. Se realizó un estudio de series temporales utilizando datos de los tratamientos (N = 37.417) del Panel-oncología, disponible en Departamento de Informática del Sistema Único de Salud (DATASUS), según la región de residencia de los pacientes. Para el análisis de la tendencia se realizó la regresión de Prais-Winsten. En los años 2018 y 2019 se observaron porcentajes más elevados para los tratamientos en hasta 60 días, siendo más acentuado en el intervalo de hasta 30 días. En 2019, un 61,5% de los tratamientos comenzaron en hasta 60 días, con mayores proporciones en las regiones Sur (71,3%), Sudeste (60,1%) y Centro-oeste (59,1%). La tendencia temporal de la categoría 0-60 días fue creciente en la Región Norte, con variación porcentaje anual (VPA) de un 15,7% y estacionaria en las demás regiones y en Brasil. La tendencia del tiempo de 0-30 días fue creciente solamente para las regiones Norte y Nordeste, con VPA de 29,75% y 20,56%, respectivamente. Se concluye que a partir de 2018 hubo un mayor número de casos que comenzaron el tratamiento de cáncer de boca durante el tiempo de demora, conforme lo previsto en la Ley nº 12.732/2012 (hasta 60 días), con diferencias regionales y tendencia estacionaria en la mayoría de las regiones y en Brasil. El alcance parcial de la meta, el predominio de la tendencia estacionaria y las desigualdades regionales indican la necesidad de continuar supervisando el tiempo de demora para el inicio del tratamiento de cáncer en el país e intensificar esfuerzos para garantizar el cuidado en salud.

Can the school environment influence oral health-related behaviours? A multilevel analysis of the Brazilian National Adolescent School-Based Health Survey 2015.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the potential support of schools for oral health promotion and a set of oral health-related behaviours among adolescent students in Brazilian state capitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using individual and school environment data from the 2015 Brazilian National Adolescent School-Based Health Survey (PeNSE) was conducted. The sample consisted of 51 192 students from 1339 public and private schools in the 27 Brazilian State Capitals, aged 11-19 years old. The outcomes were six oral health-related behaviours: dental visits; toothbrushing frequency; soft drink and sweets consumption; smoking and alcohol consumption. The explanatory variable was the Oral Health Promotion School Environment index (OHPSE). Covariates were the adolescents' sociodemographic characteristics and organizational aspects of the schools. A two-level multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression analysis with fixed slopes and random intercepts was performed, considering the complex sample design. RESULTS: The prevalence of risk behaviours was 28.0% for 'low frequency of annual dental visits', 6.9% for 'low daily toothbrushing frequency', 28.8% for 'high weekly soft drink consumption', 41.7% for 'high weekly sweet consumption', 18.9% for 'cigarette experimentation' and 52.6% for 'alcoholic beverage experimentation'. The schools were classified as low (36.3%), intermediate (30.4%) and high (33.3%) OHPSE. In the adjusted model, schools with 'high OHPSE' had lower prevalence of 'low frequency of annual dental visits' (PR = 0.94 [95% CI 0.90; 0.99]), 'high weekly frequency of soft drink consumption' (PR = 0.94 [95% CI 0.89; 0.99]) and 'sweet consumption' (PR = 0.96 [95% CI 0.93; 1.00]) than those with 'low OHPSE'. In addition, schools with 'intermediate OHPSE' had higher prevalence's of 'low daily toothbrushing frequency' (PR = 1.12 [95% CI 1.03; 1.23]) and 'cigarette experimentation' (PR = 1.08 [95% CI 1.01; 1.16]) than those with 'low OHPSE'. 'Alcoholic beverage experimentation' was not associated with OHPSE. CONCLUSIONS: The potential support of schools for oral health promotion was associated with most of the oral health-related behaviours among adolescent students. Those attending schools with higher OHPSE scores reported a higher annual frequency of dental visits and a lower weekly frequency of soft drink and sweet consumption, while those in schools with intermediate OHPSE had a lower daily toothbrushing frequency and a higher rate of cigarette experimentation.

Impact of socioeconomic and clinical factors on child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL).

PURPOSE: Child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) has been increasingly assessed; however, few studies appraised the influence of socioeconomic status on COHRQoL in developing countries. This study assessed the relationship of COHRQoL with socioeconomic backgrounds and clinical factors. METHODS: This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a multistage random sample of 792 schoolchildren aged 12 years, representative of Santa Maria, a southern city in Brazil. Participants completed the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ(11-14)), their parents or guardians answered questions on socioeconomic status, and a dental examination provided information on the prevalence of caries, dental trauma and occlusion. The assessment of association used hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models. RESULTS: Higher impacts on COHRQoL were observed for children presenting with untreated dental caries (RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.07-1.35) and maxillary overjet (RR 1.19; 95% CI 1.02-1.40). Socioeconomic factors also associated with COHRQoL; poorer scores were reported by children whose mothers have not completed primary education (RR 1.30; 95% CI 1.17-1.44) and those with lower household income (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.02-1.26). CONCLUSION: Poor socioeconomic standings and poor dental status have a negative impact on COHRQoL; reducing health inequalities may demand dental programmes and policies targeting deprived population.

Recurrent sores by ill-fitting dentures and intra-oral squamous cell carcinoma in smokers.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether denture use and recurrent sores caused by ill-fitting dentures are associated with intra-oral squamous cell carcinoma (IO-SCC) in individuals exposed to tobacco. METHODS: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study. The study population 124 patients wi th IO-SCC and the same number of controls (individually paired according to gender and age) recruited from outpatient units of the same hospital. Conditional logistic regression analysis assessed the effect of denture use and recurrent oral sores by ill-fitting dentures, adjusted by covariates on the lifetime exposure to alcohol and tobacco, socioeconomic standings, and dietary patterns. RESULTS: The use of dentures showed no association with IO-SCC [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.40, 95 percent confidence interval 0.51-3.87, P = 0.513] in an assessment controlled by socioeconomic position, lifetime exposure to alcohol and tobacco, and dietary patterns. However, the report of recurrent sores caused by ill-fitting dentures showed significant association with the disease (adjusted OR 4.58, 95 percent confidence interval 1.52-13.76, P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The association between recurrent oral sores caused by ill-fitting dentures and squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth in smokers is in agreement with the hypothesis that the chronic physical irritation of oral mucosa contributes to the topical carcinogenic effect of tobacco, which must be taken into careful consideration in the planning of dental services for adults and the elderly.