Determining acceptable limits for water sorption and solubility of interim denture resilient liners.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Specifications for determining acceptable limits of water sorption (WS) and solubility for interim denture resilient liners are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the WS and solubility of interim resilient materials throughout their lifespans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Specimens (n=10) of 7 tissue conditioners, Coe-Comfort (CC), Softone (ST), Rite-Line (RL), Dura Conditioner (DC), Hydrocast (HC), Dentusoft (DS), and Visco-gel (VG) and 2 interim resilient liners, Trusoft (TS) and Coe-Soft (CS), were submitted to desorption until weight stabilization. Next, they were immersed in distilled water at 37°C for 3, 5, 7, or 14 days and then weighed, dried, and reweighed. Data (%) were analyzed using 2-way ANOVA and the Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) test (α=.05). RESULTS: VG demonstrated the highest WS (12.06 ±0.93%-16.62 ±0.87%) and solubility (20.30 ±4.26%-23.59 ±2.24%; P<.05) percentages. Low WS values were presented by CC (2.23 ±0.53%-2.99 ±0.49%; P<.05). The WS showed no significant changes for CC, CS, and TS over 14 days (P>.05). SL presented intermediate solubility values (4.09 ±1.60%-8.80 ±1.15%), and the other materials showed values lower than 3.35 ±0.70%. CC, DC, DS, HC, RL, TS, and CS showed no changes in solubility throughout the 14-day trial. CONCLUSIONS: Over the lifespan of a tissue conditioner (7 days), CC, RL, DC, HC, DS, CS, and TS presented suitable in vitro performance. Among the tested materials, CC, CS, and TS were considered best suited for denture relining for up to 14 days.

The Brazilian validation of a health literacy instrument: the newest vital sign.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to perform the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the NVS for Brazilian Portuguese. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and fifty adults responded to the adapted version of the NVS, the Brazilian version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30), ten questions of the National Functional Literacy Index (NFLI), and a questionnaire about demographic and oral health-related aspects. Statistical analysis determined the internal consistency, stability, difficulty of items, and convergent/discriminant/predictive validities of the NVS. p < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The NVS displayed a good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79) and a fair stability (ICC = 0.57; 0.39-0.70 95% CI). Seventy-two percent of participants answered the easier question (#5) correctly, whereas only 28.4% were successful in responding the most difficult question (#1). The convergent validity of the NVS was demonstrated by its significant correlation with the BREALD-30 (Rs = 0.601, p < .001) and NFLI (Rs = 0.544, p < .001). The observation of higher NVS scores among health professionals, white and more educated people confirmed the discriminant validity of the instrument. Moreover, health literacy was a significant predictor of self-reported oral health and reason for dental utilization. CONCLUSION: The NVS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties to be applied in Brazilian oral health epidemiological surveys.