The relationship of dental students' characteristics to social support, psychosocial factors, lifestyle, and quality of life.

Objective: To examine the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, student academic information, social support, sense of coherence, anxiety, lifestyle, and quality of life among dental students. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 233 dental students in Brazil. We captured data on sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, social support through Social Support Appraisal, psychosocial factors (sense of coherence and anxiety based on SOC-13 and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 - anxiety subscale, respectively), lifestyle as per individual Lifestyle Profile and quality of life based on VERAS-Q. Data was analysed through Structural Equation Modelling. Results: Greater social support, higher sense of coherence, lower anxiety, better lifestyle directly predicted better quality of life. Male gender, city of origin did not differ from the city of the campus, higher social support and greater sense of coherence were indirectly linked with better quality of life via better lifestyle. Lower academic semester and higher social support indirectly predicted better quality of life via lower anxiety. Conclusion: Social support, sense of coherence, anxiety, and lifestyle were relevant factors directly associated with dental student's quality of life. Indirect pathways were observed between gender, moved home to attend dental course, academic semester, social support, sense of coherence, and quality of life.

Protective psychosocial factors and dental caries in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial protective factors include dispositional and family attributes that may reduce the occurrence of dental caries. AIM: This review analysed the evidence on the relationship between protective psychosocial factors and dental caries in children and adolescents. DESIGN: Primary studies involving children and adolescents were searched in the following electronic databases: Medline, SCOPUS, LILACS, SciELO, and Web of Science. The reference lists were also screened. Protective psychosocial factor descriptors were in accordance with the salutogenic theory. The outcome was clinical measure of dental caries. Quality assessments were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. RESULTS: The final search resulted in 35 studies, including 7 cohort, one case-control, and 27 cross-sectional studies. Most studies were of moderate quality. Meta-analyses revealed that low parental internal locus of control (cohort studies: OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.20-1.64; cross-sectional studies: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.19-1.41), high parental external chance (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.10-1.29), and high maternal sense of coherence (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62-0.93) were associated with dental caries in children. High social support (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.68-0.93) and greater self-efficacy (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.12-1.22) were also associated with dental caries in adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence suggests that some salutogenic factors are important protective factors of dental caries during childhood and adolescence.

Management Models of Centers of Dental Specialties: Analysis from PMAQ-CEO

Objective: To identify and understand how management models are being institutionalized in Centers of Dental Specialties, specifically with regard to the publicprivate relationship. Material and Methods: A descriptive and quantitative study using database of the 1st cycle PMAQ/CEO External Evaluation, specific to the question directed to managers or Dentists working at CEO: what is the labor link of CEO professionals? It was considered an alternative model when at least one dentist had nonstatutory labor relationship. Statistical analyses performed were exploratory and descriptive. Results: Data were collected from 930 CEOs distributed throughout Brazil, of which 170 (18.3%) are under alternative management model, especially in the southeastern (37.6%) and northeastern regions (34.7%), distributed in 147 municipalities, 144 (85%) under municipal management, 22 (13%) under state management. Of CEOs with state management, 68% are in Ceará State and 27% in Paraná State. In 78.6% of CEOs, the labor link of dentists is exclusively via direct public administration. Other 10.1% are in direct public administration with new legal arrangements. Only alternative management models were identified in 8.2% of CEOs. Conclusion: A significant number of CEOs are under alternative management model, and its distribution to all regions indicates a consolidation trend.

Are resilience and maternal sense of coherence associated with gingival status in adolescents from low-income families?

BACKGROUND: The capacity to overcome social disadvantages and maintain oral health through psychosocial processes remains poorly understood in children. AIM: This study assessed the relationship of children's resilience and maternal sense of coherence (SOC) with gingival status in children from low-income families. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 190 schoolchildren aged 11-12 years and their mothers. Family socioeconomic characteristics and housing conditions, maternal and children's oral cleanliness behaviours (tooth brushing and dental floss use), maternal SOC, children's resilience, and demographic data were collected through interviews with children and their mothers. Validated versions of Antonovsky's scale and the resilience scale were used to assess mother's SOC and children's resilience. Gingival status and dental plaque of children were evaluated through clinical examinations using bleeding on probing index and plaque index. Statistical analysis included Pearson's correlation and hierarchical multinomial ordinal logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The mean frequency of gingival bleeding in the sample was 8.4% (SD: 8.5). Children with higher levels of resilience showed 31% lower odds of gingival bleeding (OR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4-0.9) after adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics, children's and mothers' use of dental floss. CONCLUSIONS: Children's resilience was a psychosocial factor associated with gingival conditions.

The association between low-socioeconomic status mother's Sense of Coherence and their child's utilization of dental care.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of low-socioeconomic status mother's Sense of Coherence (SOC) and their child's utilization of dental care services in a city of Southeast Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 190 schoolchildren aged 11-12 and their mothers in Sao João de Meriti-RJ, Southeast Brazil. The outcome variables were children's use of dental care services and visiting dentists mainly for check-ups. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and data regarding children's dental care use were collected through interviews with mothers. Children's oral health-related behaviours as well as dental status (DMFS index), dental pain, Visible Dental Plaque and Bleeding on Probing Index were registered. Mother's SOC was assessed through the validated short version (13-item) of Antonovsky's scale. Multiple logistic regression was used in the data analysis. RESULTS: Of the mothers, 81.1% reported on their child's utilization of dental care services. Of them, 42.9% considered check-ups as the main reason for taking their children to dental services. Children whose mothers had higher levels of SOC were more likely to utilize dental care services (OR=2.08 95%CI=1.17-3.64) and visit a dentist mainly for check-ups (except for dental treatment) (OR=2.02 95%CI=1.06-3.81) than those whose mothers had lower levels of SOC. These findings were adjusted for socioeconomic status, children's oral health-related behaviours and oral health measures. CONCLUSIONS: Mother's SOC was a psychosocial factor associated with their child's pattern of use of dental care services in low-socioeconomic status families.

Pediatricians' perception about the use of antibiotics and dental caries--a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate pediatricians' perception about the use of antibiotics and dental caries. METHODS: One hundred pretested questionnaires containing open and closed questions were distributed to pediatricians from public hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. RESULTS: The response rate was 60 percent. Considering the respondents, 73.3 percent frequently prescribed antibiotics, oral administration being the chosen mode (93.3%). Antibiotics were pointed out as being very sweet substances by 53.3 percent of the pediatricians. However, the same percentage did not know what sweetener was responsible for the sweet flavor, and just 40.6 percent recommended oral hygiene after the medicine's intake. Among the pediatricians, 56.7 percent related the use of antibiotics to the occurrence of dental effects, and 40 percent thought that antibiotics could cause a defect of tooth structure. Only one pediatrician (3.2%) associated the presence of fermentable carbohydrates in the composition of these medicines with dental caries. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians in this study did not perceive the correct relationship between the presence of fermentable carbohydrates in antibiotics and dental caries. Many of them believed these medicines promoted a defect of tooth structure favoring the development of dental caries. Further studies with a larger sample are necessary.