Maternal Knowledge of Oral Health During Pregnancy and Childbirth.

OBJECTIVE: This cohort study was to investigate maternal knowledge of the oral health of woman and children during pregnancy and after childbirth, and the associated factors. METHODS: Groups of women participating in a public prenatal dental care programme in Brazil were assessed, in two different stages. In the first stage, pregnant women were assessed for their own oral health. In the second stage, after childbirth, women were assessed for the oral health of their child. The examiner assigned a maternal knowledge score to the questionnaires, considering the ideal alternatives within the context of oral health promotion as correct answers. Statistical analysis included the Kruskal-Wallis and multiple linear regression tests, considering a level of significance of P < 0.05. RESULTS: Ninety-eight women were included in the study, with a mean age 26.27 years (SD 6.51). In the regression analysis, the maternal knowledge score was associated with the presence of myths about oral health (P < 0.01), the children first dental appointment in the first year of life (P = 0.07), the presence of a non-nutritious sucking habit (P < 0.01), considering dental treatment to be important during pregnancy (P < 0.01), and having been instructed on oral health during pregnancy (P < 0.01) and after the children birth (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the women showed a regular score of knowledge about their oral health and that of their children, as they still believed in some myths about oral health and the risks of dental treatment during pregnancy. Women who received guidance on oral health in pregnancy and after birth showed higher knowledge of their oral health and that of their children, demonstrating the importance of carrying out health promotion actions during pregnancy and the first years of the child's life.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on head and neck cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This manuscript presents a systematic review of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. A meta-analysis was made to compare the number of treated/operated HNC patients in the pre-COVID-19 era versus the COVID-19 era. This investigation was based on previous reports showing a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of new cases of cancer during the pandemic. Worsening in cancer prognosis would be expected as a result of the delayed treatments. METHOD AND MATERIALS: An electronic search was conducted using the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library databases. Relevant articles were selected based on specific inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 8,942 HNC patients were included. A higher prevalence in male (1,873) in comparison to female (1,695) was observed considering 3,568 patients. Regarding staging, the majority of cases were stage III to IV. The treatment type more frequently described was surgery. Positive diagnosis for COVID-19 in the pre-oncologic treatment was reported for 242 patients, and for post-oncologic treatment in 119 patients. Mortality by COVID-19 was reported for 27 HNC patients. The meta-analysis revealed a significantly smaller number of surgeries/oncologic treatments of HNC patients performed (2,666) in the COVID-19 era when compared to the pre-COVID-19 era (3,163) (Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.65 to 1.00, P = .05). CONCLUSION: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HNC patients occurred mainly in the number of surgeries/oncologic treatments, showing a significantly smaller number of surgeries/oncologic treatments performed in the COVID-19 era rather than the pre-COVID-19 era.

Systemic and local effects of doxycycline and low-intensity laser treatment on periodontitis in rats.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the systemic and local effects of doxycycline (DOX) and low-intensity laser (LIL) treatment as adjuvants to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of experimental periodontitis in rats. METHODS: The sample consisted of 180 male rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus, Wistar), of which 30 did not receive induction of periodontal disease (negative control [NC] group) and 150 received induction of periodontal disease in the lower first molar. After 7 days, the ligature was removed, and the animals were divided into the following groups: NT (no treatment), SRP (SRP), DOX (SRP and DOX irrigation), LIL (SRP and laser irradiation), and DOX+LIL (SRP, DOX, and LIL). The animals were euthanized at 7, 15, and 30 days; thereafter, biochemical, radiographic, histological, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. RESULTS: In the intragroup analysis, lower concentrations of α-1-glycoprotein acid (α-1-Ga) and complement 3 (C3) were observed in the DOX+LIL group than in all other groups at all time points, as well as lower levels of complement 4 (C4) at 15 and 30 days (P<0.001). Less bone loss was observed in the DOX, LIL, and DOX+LIL groups than in the NC and SRP groups at all time points (P<0.001). There was a smaller number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells in the DOX+LIL group than in the other groups at all time points (P<0.001). Positive correlations were observed between the systemic levels of α-1-Ga, C3, and C4 and the number of TRAP-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of DOX with LIL as SRP adjuvants was effective both systemically and locally for the treatment of experimental periodontitis in rats.

Influence of Doxycycline and InGaAlP Diode Laser at 660 nm Wavelength in the Treatment of Periodontitis Induced in Rats: In Vivo Study.

This study evaluated the influence of Doxycycline (DOX) and Low-Intensity Laser (LIL) (InGaAlP diode laser) as scaling and root planing (SRP) adjuvants in the treatment of periodontitis induced in rats. The rats received periodontal disease induction, and after 7 days, the ligature was removed, and the animals were divided into groups/treatments: NT-receive no treatment; SRP-submitted only to SRP; DOX-submitted to SRP and DOX irrigation; LIL-submitted to SRP and LIL irradiation; and DOX + LIL-submitted to SRP treatments, DOX irrigation and LIL irradiation. The animals were sacrificed at 7, 15 and 30 days, and then, the analyses were performed. A lower concentration of Alpha-glycoprotein acid and Complement 3 was observed in the DOX + LIL group compared to all the other groups in all the periods, and for Complement 4 at 15 and 30 days (P < 0.01). A lower bone loss (BL) was observed in the DOX + LIL group compared to all the other groups in all the periods (P < 0.01). It can be concluded that LIL was effective in the reduction of proteins, and its association with DOX was effective in the reduction of proteins and BL, in the treatment of periodontal induction in rats.

Genetic polymorphisms in interleukin-6 and interleukin-1-beta were associated with dental caries and gingivitis.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene (rs1800795) and in Interleukin-1-beta (IL-1ß) gene (rs1143627 and rs1143629) with dental caries and gingivitis in Brazilian children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three hundred and fifty-three children aged 8-11 years were included. Visible biofilm and gingival bleeding were evaluated by Community Periodontal Index. The International System for Detection and Assessment of Carious Lesions (ICDAS) was used to investigate dental caries. Real-time PCR evaluated SNPs in the DNA. Chi-square test, haplotype analysis and logistic regression were applied (alpha of 5%). RESULTS: The GG genotype in rs1800795 (IL-6) decreases the risk of gingivitis in a co-dominant model (p = .05; OR = 0.64). The GG genotype in rs1143627 (IL-1ß) reduces the risk of dental caries (Co-dominant model: ICDAS0 versus ICDAS1-6: p = .05; OR = 0.55. ICDAS0-2 versus ICDAS3-6: p = .02; OR = 0.49. Recessive model: ICDAS0 versus ICDAS1-6: p = .005; OR = 0.48. ICDAS0-2 versus ICDAS3-6: p = .004; OR = 0.45. Logistic regression: ICDAS0-2 versus ICDAS3-6: p = .05; OR = 0.24; CI 95%= 0.05-1.00). The GG genotype in rs1143629 was more frequent in ICDAS0 (p = .05; OR: 0.60). In the haplotype analysis, IL-1ß was associated with gingivitis. CONCLUSION: The rs1800795 in IL-6 gene was associated with gingivitis. The rs1143627 and rs1143629 in IL-1ß were associated with dental caries and gingivitis.

[The importance of oral health in the view of inpatients]. / A importância da saúde bucal na ótica de pacientes hospitalizados.

The perception of oral condition is an important health indicator as it synthesizes the condition of objective health, subjective answers, cultural values and expectative. The study evaluated the importance of oral health according to the perception of inpatients of a hospital unit at Araçatuba city, São Paulo State. A partially structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The program Epi Info 2000 was used to statistics analysis. The results show that half of patients affirmed that visited a dental surgeon on a period between 6 and 12 months due to periodontal problems (35%) and dental caries (20%). It was observed that although all patients consider to have a good oral hygiene, the periodontal treatment was identified like the more necessary among them (67.93%). The presence of a dental surgeon at the hospital clinical group was considered by all the patients essential to collaborate with the integral care of health of inpatients. About the role of dental surgeon in a hospital, the majority of patients (90.63%) affirmed to be the act of "caring on the teeth". So, it is possible to conclude that all the patients know the importance of the maintenance of oral health appropriated conditions specially of inpatients.

Gestión en salud en Brasil: la percepción de gestores y trabajadores de la salud sobre modelo de gestión y aspectos gerenciales / anagement on Brazilian health: perception of health managers and workers about management model and managerial aspects

Objetivo: Se averiguó la percepción de los gestores y trabajadores de la salud con respecto al modelo de gestión, recursos humanos, materiales, financieros y programas implantados. Este trabajo fue realizado en cinco municipios de pequeño porte del Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, los cuales priorizan la gestión en atención primaria a la salud. Métodos: El presente es una investigación cualitativa y cuantitativa, en la cual se aplicó un cuestionario estructurado por medio de entrevistas con gestores y trabajadores de la red pública de salud. Resultados: Fueron entrevistados 78 trabajadores de la salud de los cinco municipios. El tiempo promedio de ejercicio en la función de los profesionales fue de 3,6 años, siendo que el trabajo realizado estaba comprendido en el servicio de atención primaria. Referente a los recursos disponibles para atender la demanda de los servicios de salud, la mayoría relató ser insuficientes tanto los recursos humanos (60,5%), como los materiales (37,7%) y los financieros (72,7%). En relación a la Estratégica de la Salud de la Familia (ESF) implantada en esos municipios, fue considerada buena u óptima por el 59,2% de los entrevistados. Conclusión: Los recursos fueron considerados escasos, haciendo necesario que los gestores y trabajadores planifiquen mejor la ocupación de esos cargos, para minimizar los problemas durante la gestión. La ESF fue considerada un importante instrumento para el fortalecimiento de la Atención Primaria en la Salud.

Objective: To verify the perception of health managers and workers about managerial model, humans, materials and financers recourses, and implanted programs. This study was developed on five small load cities of São Paulo State, Brazil, and these cities priorize management on health basic care. Methods: this study is a qualitative and quantitative research and for this, a questioner semi-structured was applied by the interview form with managers and workers of health public system. Results: just 78 health workers (n=78) from the five cities were interviewed. The medium time of function exercise of these professionals was 3,6 years, but the realized work was comprised on primary care service. About recourses available to attend the demand of health services, the majority related to be insufficient the human recourses (60,5%), material recourses (37,7%) and financer recourses (72,7%). About Family Health Strategy (FHS) implanted on theses cities, was considered good or excellent by 59,2% of interviewed people. Conclusion: the recourses were considered deficient, needing of managers and workers, with better planning to occupation of theses functions, to reduce the problems during management. The FHS was considered an important instrument for the fortification of Health Basic Care.

Analysis of the ethical aspects of professional confidentiality in dental practice.

From the point of view of deontological ethics, privacy is a moral right that patients are entitled to and it is bound to professional confidentiality. Otherwise, the information given by patients to health professionals would not be reliable and a trustable relationship could not be established. The aim of the present study was to assess, by means of questionnaires with open and closed questions, the awareness and attitudes of 100 dentists working in the city of Andradina, São Paulo State, Brazil, with respect to professional confidentiality in dental practice. Most dentists (91.43%) reported to have instructed their assistants on professional confidentiality. However, 44.29% of the interviewees showed to act contradictorily as reported talking about the clinical cases of their patients to their friends or spouses. The great majority of professionals (98.57%) believed that it is important to have classes on Ethics and Bioethics during graduation and, when asked about their knowledge of the penalties imposed for breach of professional confidentiality, only 48.57% of them declared to be aware of it. Only 28.57% of the interviewees affirmed to have exclusive access to the files; 67.14% reported that that files were also accessed by their secretary; 1.43% answered that their spouses also had access, and 2.86% did not answer. From the results of the present survey, it could be observed that, although dentists affirmed to be aware of professional confidentiality, their attitudes did not adhere to ethical and legal requirements. This stand of health professionals has contributed to violate professional ethics and the law itself, bringing problems both to the professional and to the patient.