Discrimination and dental students: What is the reality in Brazilian institutions?

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate whether there is discrimination in the dental educational environment, assess the main reasons for the discriminatory events, and if there is an association between discriminatory episodes and sociodemographic characteristics of undergraduate dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire to students enrolled in three Brazilian dental schools. Questions included sociodemographic characteristics and the occurrence of discriminatory episodes in the dental academic environment. Descriptive analysis was performed in RStudio 1.3 (R Core Team, RStudio, Inc., Boston, USA) software and the associations were tested using Pearson's chi-square test, considering 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: A total of 732 dental students were included, with a response rate of 70.2%. The vast majority of students were female (66.9%), with white/yellow skin colour (67.9%), and with a mean age of 22.6 (SD 4.1) years. Sixth-eight percent of students reported having experienced some discrimination in the academic environment and most reported feeling uncomfortable with the episode. The main reasons to have been discriminated against raised by students were specific behaviour/habit, have specific moral, ethical, and aesthetic values, gender, and socioeconomic status or social class. The occurrence of discriminatory episodes was associated with female gender (p = .05), non-heterosexual sexual orientation (p < .001), studying in public institutions (p < .001), receiving an institutional scholarship (p = .018), and being in the final undergraduate cycle (p < .001). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of discriminatory episodes was common in Brazilian dental higher education. Discriminatory situations generate traumas and psychological marks, causing a loss of diversity within the academic environment that leads to loss of productivity, creativity, and innovation. Thus, strong institutional policies against discrimination are crucial to create a healthy dental academic environment.

Gender inequalities in the dental science: An analysis of high impact publications.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the participation of women in publications of dental journals with a high impact factor. METHODS: Articles published in 2016, 2011, and 2006 in 10 dental journals chosen for their highest impact factors in each dental fields were included in this research. Articles-related variables collected included the country of origin of each author, the type of study, and gender of the researchers. Gender was examined through PubMed, Scopus, ResearchGate, and respective affiliated institutions. Furthermore, a website designed to discover the gender of names was used when the previous alternatives were not conclusive. Forward stepwise Poisson regression models were used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 3365 studies were included in the first authorship analysis and 3398 in analysis related to last authorship. The prevalence of women as first authors was 37.2% (confidence interval (CI) 95% 34.5-37.5) and as last authors was 22.6% (CI 95% 21.3-23.9). Having a woman as the last author increased the presence of women in the first author position in scientific dental articles by 16% (prevalence ratio = 1.16, CI 95% [1.04-1.29]). The year of publication, journal, and region of the author were associated with an increase in the prevalence of women as last authors. From 2006 to 2016, the prevalence of women as last authors increased by 61%. Despite these trends, women were still underrepresented in science in the evaluated period. CONCLUSIONS: There are meaningful gender inequalities in publications of scientific dental papers. Encouraging women to lead research groups can reduce the inequities observed in the present study.

Iniquidades socioeconômicas na saúde bucal de estudantes universitários do sul do Brasil / Socioeconomic inequities in the oral health of university students in southern Brazi

Objetivo: Identificar a magnitude da associação entre experiência de cárie dentária e autopercepção negativa de saúde bucal com determinantes socioeconômicos. Métodos: Estudo transversal realizado com dados de uma coorte prospectiva com os universitários ingressantes na Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel) no ano de 2016. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionário autoaplicável, incluindo características demográficas, socioeconômicas e psicossociais. Os desfechos do presente estudo foram a experiência de cárie autorrelatada (histórico de doença cárie) e autopercepção de saúde bucal (positiva versus negativa). Resultados: Um total de 3.237 alunos ingressou, dos quais 2.089 (64,5%) concordaram em participar do estudo. O modelo de regressão de Poisson mostrou que universitários com renda familiar de R$ 1001,00 a 5000,00 e R$ 5001,00 ou mais apresentaram, respectivamente, uma razão de prevalência (RP) 14% (RP = 0,86; IC95% 0,80-0,92) e 18% (RP = 0,82; IC95% 0,74 a 0,90) menor de experiência de cárie, assim como indivíduos cujas mães tinham ensino médio completo apresentaram uma prevalência 14% menor (RP = 0,86; IC95% 0,80 a 0,92) e ensino superior completo 19% (RP = 0,81; IC95% 0,75 a 0,87) menor de experiência de cárie, quando comparados aos grupos de referência. Na autopercepção de saúde bucal, os resultados para renda familiar de R$1001 a 5000,00 e R$ 5001 ou mais apresentaram, respectivamente, uma prevalência 23% (RP = 0,77; IC95% 0,64 a 0,91) e 43% (RP = 0,57; IC95% 0,45 a 0,72) menor de ter autopercepção de saúde bucal negativa e indivíduos cujas mães tinham ensino superior completo reportaram uma prevalência 21% menor de autopercepção de saúde bucal negativa quando comparados à referência (RP = 0,79; IC95% 0,66 a 0,97). Conclusões: Os achados do presente estudo confirmam que os indicadores socioeconômicos influenciam a experiência de cárie autorrelatada e a autopercepção de saúde bucal dos universitários.

Objective: To identify the magnitude of the association between dental caries experience and negative self-per-ception of oral health with socioeconomic determinants. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted with data from a prospective cohort with university students entering the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) in 2016. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire, including demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial characteristics. The outcomes of the present study were experience of self-reported caries (history of caries disease) and self-perceived oral health (positive versus negative). Results: A total of 3,237 students joined, of which 2,089 (64.5%) agreed to participate in the study. The Poisson regression model known that university students with an income of R$ 1001 to 5000.00 and R$ 5001 or more primary, respectively, a prevalence ratio (PR) 14% (PR = 0,86; 95%CI 0,80-0,92) and 18% (PR = 0,82; 95%CI 0,74 a 0,90) lower of caries experience, as well as individualizing mothers had completed high school prevalence a 14% (PR = 0,86; 95%CI 0,80 a 0,92) lower prevalence and complete higher education 19% (PR = 0,81; 95%CI 0,75 a 0,87) less caries experi-ence when compared to reference groups. In the self-perception of oral health, the results for income of R$ 1001 to 5000.00 and R$ 5001 or more dissipated, respectively, a 23% (PR = 0,77; 95%CI 0,64 a 0,91) and 43% (PR = 0,57; 95%CI 0,45 a 0,72) lower prevalence of having negative self-perception of oral health and qualified originating from complete higher education reported a 23% lower prevalence of negative self-perceived oral health when compared to the reference (PR = 0,79; 95%CI 0,66 a 0,97). Conclusions: The findings of the present study confirm that socioeconomic indicators influence the experience of caries and self-perceived oral health among university students

Prevalência de injúrias em tecidos moles em pacientes atendidos em um centro especializado no tratamento de traumatismos dentários

Avaliar a prevalência de lesões de tecidos moles em crianças que sofreram traumatismo alveolodentário na dentição decídua, atendidas em um serviço especializado da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Métodos: os dados coletados dos prontuários dos pacientes atendidos de 2002 a 2011 foram: idade, sexo, injúria em tecidos moles e severidade do traumatismo. Os dados foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva e associações foram feitas pelo Teste Qui-Quadrado, utilizando o programa Stata 11.0. Resultados: dos 707 prontuários analisados, 603 crianças foram incluídas no estudo. Desse total, 51,41% apresentaram lesões em tecidos moles, além das injúrias dentárias. A maior prevalência de lesões em tecidos moles foi em crianças de 25 a 36 meses (24,71%) e entre o sexo masculino (58,87%). A presença de lesões em tecidos moles foi estatisticamente significante em rela- ção à severidade do traumatismo (p≤0,001) e à idade da criança (p=0,004), no entanto, não foi observada diferença em relação ao sexo. A lesão em tecido mole mais prevalente foi a laceração, tanto na região extraoral (46,75%) quanto na intraoral (64,10%), seguida por contusão e abrasão. Considerando todos os tipos de lesões, a região intraoral foi a mais atingida (50,32%). Conclusão: as lesões em tecido mole estão presentes em grande parte das crianças que sofrem traumatismo (51,41%), portanto, é necessário ressaltar a importância do exame e do tratamento dessas lesões.