Self-perception of need to replace dentures and oral health-related quality of life: cross-sectional study nested in a Cohort in Southern Brazil

Aim: With the significant increase in life expectancy over the last decades, it is important to understand how oral health can impact the oral health-related quality of life of older adults. This study aimed to investigate the association between need to replace dentures and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older adults belonging to a Cohort in southern Brazil. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with data from the 2019 Pelotas Elderly Cohort. The OHRQoL was assessed using the GOHAI. Need to replace dentures was self-report using a question dichotomized into yes/no. In the statistical analysis, unadjusted and adjusted models estimate from linear regression models were calculated. The significance level adopted was 5%. Results: A total of 493 older adults were included. On the GOHAI questionnaire, the mean score was 32.74 (SD±0.16). Individuals considering need of prosthesis replacement were 47.89%. Report of need to replace dentures was associated to lowest mean on the GOHAI score (ß -1.14; 95%CI - 1.80; -0.478, and on the physical (ß -0.56; 95%CI - 0.94 -0.17) and psychosocial (ß -0.48; 95%CI - 0.74; -0.22) dimensions. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of also considering subjective measures of oral health in the dental care of older adults, since reporting the need for denture replacement, regardless of the reason, was associated with a worse oral health-related quality of life, including physical and psychosocial aspects

O uso de desenhos como técnica projetiva em odontopediatria / The use of drawings as a projective technique in pediatric dentistry

The dental environment can be considered a stressor for children, and can trigger unwanted behaviors. Pediatric Dentistry is a specialty that requires professionals to know preventive measures and restorative skills to perform dental treatment in children or adolescents. In addition, it is especially important that the professional is concerned with the child's feelings and reactions, allowing the pediatric dentist to identify situations that may generate stress for the patient during the care, and manage the presented behaviors. Recent studies have measured children's reactions and feelings during dental treatments using projective techniques. Given the importance of drawing to identify children's emotions, the objective of this study was to search the literature about the use of drawings as a projective technique in Pediatric Dentistry. Therefore, projective techniques, with an emphasis on drawing, have proved to be an effective instrument to be used in clinical practice to better understand the reactions presented by children during dental care and their relationship with dentists. Thus, avoiding unexpected situations in the office and allowing greater chances of obtaining a positive return from the patient.

O ambiente odontológico pode ser considerado um estressor para o público infantil, capaz de desencadear comportamentos indesejados. A Odontopediatria é uma especialidade que exige do profissional o conhecimento de medidas preventivas e de habilidades restauradoras para a realização do tratamento odontológico na criança ou no adolescente. Além disso, é muito importante que o profissional se atente aos sentimentos e às reações da criança, e identifique situações que possam desencadear estresse para o paciente durante o atendimento odontopediátrico, e maneje os comportamentos apresentados. Estudos recentes têm mensurado as reações das crianças e seus sentimentos durante tratamentos odontológicos por meio de técnicas projetivas. Diante da importância do desenho como meio para identificar as emoções das crianças, o objetivo deste estudo foi fazer uma busca na literatura acerca do uso de desenhos como técnica projetiva em Odontopediatria. As técnicas projetivas, com ênfase no desenho, revelaram-se um instrumento eficaz a ser utilizado na prática clínica a fim de melhor compreender as reações apresentadas pelas crianças durante o atendimento odontológico e seu relacionamento com os dentistas. Elas evitam situações inesperadas no consultório e possibilitam maiores chances de se obter um retorno positivo do paciente.