Hepatitis B virus in Lao dentists: A cross-sectional serological study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic in Lao PDR, with up to 10% chronic infections in adults. Dentists have high risk of exposure and transmission to their patients. The aim was to investigate the serological profiles of vaccination, exposure and susceptibility to HBV. In addition, we determined the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of Lao dentists toward HBV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dentists and dental assistants were recruited from 186 private dental clinics in Vientiane Capital. They completed a KAP questionnaire and serum was tested by ELISA for HBV markers (anti-HB surface antigen, anti-core antigen, HBV surface antigen). RESULTS: 206 dentists and 111 dental workers aged between 18-63 years were included. Serology data showed that 37.8% had previous exposure (49.0% of males and 32.4% of females) and 5.0% were chronically infected (7.7% of males and 3.8% of females). Less than 15% had serological evidence of vaccination and 66.8% were unprotected against infection. Knowledge of HBV was mostly low, for example 61.8% were aware of the childhood HBV vaccine. Just over half said that they should give dental care to HBV carriers. About one quarter reported accidental blood exposure during the last 6 months but knowledge about procedures after exposure was low. CONCLUSIONS: Lao dentists are at high risk of occupational exposure to HBV but have low awareness and serological protection. There is a need to introduce mandatory vaccination, to strengthen occupational health in health care providers and to further develop the academic curricula of dental students.

Processo de trabalho em saúde bucal: disparidade entre as equipes no Brasil, 2014 / Proceso de trabajo de salud bucal: disparidad entre equipos en Brasil, 2014 / Oral health work process: disparity between teams in Brazil, 2014

Objetivo: Comparar o desempenho das equipes de saúde bucal (ESBs) das modalidades I e II no processo de trabalho e as diferenças entre regiões brasileiras. Métodos: Estudo transversal, com dados das ESBs que aderiram ao Programa Nacional de Melhoria do Acesso e da Qualidade da Atenção Básica (2013-2014). A análise de classes latentes identificou subgrupos de ESBs segundo desempenho (consolidado, em desenvolvimento ou incipiente) no processo de trabalho (planejamento das ações; promoção da saúde; atenção integral). Comparadas as modalidades, obteve-se o índice de disparidade. Resultados: Avaliadas 15.886 ESBs, as da modalidade II apresentaram maior percentual de processo de trabalho consolidado nas regiões Sudeste (67,8 a 94,6%) e Sul (54,8 a 93,0%); observou-se maior disparidade no processo de trabalho consolidado entre ESBs da modalidade II (6,3 a 26,5), comparadas à modalidade I (3,9 a 18,4). Conclusão: ESBs da modalidade II guardam potencial para melhor desempenho no processo de trabalho, com disparidades regionais.

Objetivo: Comparar Equipos de Salud Bucal (ESB) modalidades I y II cuanto al desempeño en el proceso de trabajo y diferencias entre regiones brasileñas. Métodos: Estudio transversal con datos de la ESB adherida al Programa Nacional de Mejoramiento del Acceso y la Calidad en Atención Primaria (2013-2014). Análisis de Clases Latentes identificaron subgrupos de ESB según el desempeño (consolidado, en desarrollo o incipiente) en el proceso de trabajo (planificación de acciones, promoción de salud y atención integral). Se compararon las modalidades y se obtuvo el Índice de Disparidad. Resultados: Participaron 15.886 ESBs, las de modalidad II presentaron mayor porcentaje de proceso de trabajo consolidado en la región Sudeste (67,8% a 94,6%) y Sur (54,8% a 93,0%). La disparidad fue mayor entre la modalidad II (6,3 a 26,5) en comparación con la I (3,9 a 18,4). Conclusión: las ESBs modalidad II tienen potencial para obtener mejor desempeño en el proceso de trabajo, pero hubo disparidad regional.

Objective: To compare Modality I and Modality II Oral Health Teams (OHT) regarding work process performance and differences between Brazilian regions. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with OHTs that took part in the National Program for Primary Health Care Access and Quality Improvement (2013-2014). Latent Class Analysis identified OHT subgroups according to work process (action planning, health promotion actions and comprehensive health care) performance (consolidated, developing or incipient). OHT modalities were compared, resulting in an Index of Disparity. Results: After evaluating 15,886 OHTs, Modality II OHTs were found to have a higher percentage of consolidated work processes in the Southeast (67.8%-94.6%) and Southern (54.8%-93.0%) regions. Disparity in the consolidated work process was greater among Modality II OHTs (6.3-26.5) compared to Modality I OHTs (3.9-18.4). Conclusion: Modality II OHTs have the potential for better performance regarding the work process, but with regional disparities.

Impact of teleconsultations on the conduct of oral health teams in the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme.

Telehealth has been applied in the Unified Health System (SUS) as a tool for qualifying professionals and improving the healthcare provided to the population served by the system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of teleconsultations on the qualifications of the clinical approach of the oral health teams involved in primary health care (PHC) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul under the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme. The sample population of the study was composed of 285 dentists and 132 oral health assistants belonging to the Family Health Teams. A chi-square test was used to investigate possible associations between the absolute number of teleconsultations performed and several independent variables, namely, gender, age, dental specialty, time since graduation, time working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS), employment status, type of training institution, familiarity with information technology, and work satisfaction at the health facility. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Use of the oral health teleconsultation service led to a reduction of more than 45% in the number of referrals to other levels of care. However, no significant association was found between the number of teleconsultations and the independent variables analysed. The use of teleconsultations proved to be a powerful tool for professional training, for increasing the effectiveness of PHC, and for improving the oral healthcare provided.

Impact of teleconsultations on the conduct of oral health teams in the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme

Abstract Telehealth has been applied in the Unified Health System (SUS) as a tool for qualifying professionals and improving the healthcare provided to the population served by the system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of teleconsultations on the qualifications of the clinical approach of the oral health teams involved in primary health care (PHC) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul under the Telehealth Brazil Networks Programme. The sample population of the study was composed of 285 dentists and 132 oral health assistants belonging to the Family Health Teams. A chi-square test was used to investigate possible associations between the absolute number of teleconsultations performed and several independent variables, namely, gender, age, dental specialty, time since graduation, time working in the Family Health Strategy (FHS), employment status, type of training institution, familiarity with information technology, and work satisfaction at the health facility. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Use of the oral health teleconsultation service led to a reduction of more than 45% in the number of referrals to other levels of care. However, no significant association was found between the number of teleconsultations and the independent variables analysed. The use of teleconsultations proved to be a powerful tool for professional training, for increasing the effectiveness of PHC, and for improving the oral healthcare provided.

Use of electronic dental records in Brazil.

This study aims to provide both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the usability of the most popular electronic dental records in Brazil regarding its clinical and administrative features. The softwares not only will be evaluated regarding their usage among the Brazilian dental professionals but also regarding their functionalities (present, used and desired) and the difficulties encountered by the dentists during their use.

Demanda do serviço de odontologia clínica do Hospital Santa Catarina de Blumenau- SC / Demand of the dental clinic service of Santa Catarina hospital in Blumenau-SC

Introdução: no que concerne a saúde bucal, o ambiente hospitalar deve ser um espaço de interação multiprofissional em que a ação de cirurgiões-dentistas, enfermeiros, médicos, técnicos e equipes de apoio coexistam de forma harmônica e complementar. Objetivo: Verificar a demanda do Serviço de Odontologia Clínica do Hospital Santa Catarina, de Blumenau - SC. Método: Esta investigação se caracterizou como um estudo exploratório, mediante o levantamento de dados secundários. Os dados foram obtidos junto aos prontuários do sistema Tasy® do Hospital Santa Catarina. Foram analisados 203 prontuários de pacientes avaliados pelo serviço de Odontologia Clínica, no período de julho de 2006 a julho de 2010. Os dados foram registrados e agrupados com auxílio do programa Excel do WindowsXP, sendo calculada a frequência relativa. Após, foram apresentados em tabelas. Resultados: O serviço de Odontologia Clínica do Hospital, no período avaliado, obteve um índice médio mensal de chamadas de 4,22. A maior frequência foi para realização de avaliação odontológica preventiva (75,0 por cento) e para avaliação pré-cirurgia cardíaca (15,0 por cento) dos pacientes internados. A especialidade médica que mais chamou pelo serviço odontológico foi a cardiologia (41,8 por cento). Conclusão: Diante dos resultados obtidos nesse estudo, concluiu-se que a integração da Odontologia com as diferentes especialidades médicas, no ambiente hospitalar, ainda é pequena, tendo em vista a constatação da baixa demanda pelos cuidados odontológicos.

Introduction: In what regards buccal health, the hospital should be a space for multidisciplinary interaction in which the action of dentists, nurses, doctors, technicians and support teams coexist in a harmonious and complementary. Objective: To verify the demand of Dental Clinic Hospital Santa Catarina Service, (Blumenau-SC). Method: This research was characterized as an exploratory study through secondary data collection. The data obtained were from 203 patient records from the Tasy ® system of Hospital Santa Catarina in Blumenau-SC, collected for the period of July 2006 to July 2010. The data were recorded and grouped with the aid of Excel program of Windows XP, being calculated relative frequency. Data was registered and grouped with the aid of the Windows XP Excel program, the relative frequency being calculated. After, were presented in tables. Results: The service Dental Clinic Hospital, during this period, obtained a mean of 4.22 calls. The highest frequency for performing was preventive dental evaluation (75.0 per cent) and pre cardiac surgery assessment 15.0 per cent of interned patients. The medical specialty that most requested the dental service was the Cardiology (41.8 per cent). Conclusion: From the results obtained in this study, it was concluded that the integration of dentistry with the different medical specialties in the hospital environment it is small, because the demand for dental care was low.

Dental practice and musculoskeletal disorders association: a look at the evidence.

Disorders localized to the musculoskeletal system are a common problem among dental personnel. This study has the aim of surveying epidemiological studies reporting positive associations between dental practice and musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs). The focus was to evaluate the size of reported risk increase and the extent to what alternative causal explanations were considered. Reports with significant links (p value <.05) were systematically selected from 2 electronic databases. Twenty-five studies were identified. Risk measures were reported in 8 studies, and all of them presented weak associations. The impact of at least 1 competing explanations was analyzed in 32% of studies, but adjustment was considered not adequate in half of them. The evidence on dentistry as a profession with potential risk for development of MSKDs remains questionable. Further research is needed to more carefully elucidate the risk and the impact of MSKDs in this particular occupational group.

A Odontologia no contexto do sistema único de saúde de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais / Dentistry in the context of a unified health system in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Objetivo: Identificar o perfil do cirurgião-dentista e verificar o exercício profissional na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS), no âmbito do SUS de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Materiais e Métodos: O desenho do estudo foi o quantitativo transversal e descritivo-analítico realizado com 94 cirurgiões-dentistas do setor público municipal de Montes Claros. Para a coleta de dados utilizou-se questionário estruturado abordando variáveis de perfil e exercício profissional na APS. Os dados foram analisados através do SPSS, versão 17, e apresentados por meio da estatística descritiva (distribuições absolutas e percentuais). As análises bivariadas foram feitas com o uso do teste do Qui-quadrado, empregando-se um nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: A maior parte dos entrevistados era mulher (61,7%), pessoas com idade entre 25 e 34anos (40,4%), formados há menos de 10 anos (36,2%) e que trabalhavam na ESF (47,9%). A percepção do SUS foi majoritariamente positiva, como principio norteador de políticas de saúde (85,2%). Atividades de caráter assistencial, gerencial e multiprofissional, tanto individuais como coletivas, foram relatadaspelos pesquisados. A maioria não apresentou dificuldades no exercício de suas funções. Conclusões: Ascompetências essenciais para operacionalização do SUS na área da odontologia provocaram mudanças noserviço, no entanto, dificuldades não foram apresentadas para o exercício das funções, uma vez que a grandemaioria relatou já ter feito treinamento em serviço e ter formação recente.

Motivación laboral en un grupo de odontólogos / Work motivation in a group of dentists

El objetivo fue describir las necesidades dominantes de motivación en un grupo de odontólogos de la ciudad de México. La población seleccionada estuvo constituida por odontólogos de nueve Jurisdicciones Sanitarias de los Servicios de Salud Pública del Gobierno de la Ciudad de México, se les hizo saber los objetivos de la investigación, solicitándoles su consentimiento en forma escrita para participar en el estudio, con el llenado de: El inventario de motivación personal. Se procedió a realizar selección aleatoria del número de jurisdicciones necesarias para completar 148 odontólogos. En el 65 por ciento de la muestra de estudio se detectó la necesidad de logro, indispensable para el trabajo productivo y que se distinguen por personas que quieren hacer las cosas mejor

Percutaneous injuries of dental personnel at the University of the West Indies, School of Dentistry.

AIM: To report the results of a survey of all percutaneous injuries occurring in 2003-2004 to staff and students at the dental school in Trinidad. METHOD: Data were collected via 163 questionnaires administered to all dental surgery assistants, the current clinical students (years 3, 4 & 5), the interns, part-time and full-time academic staff. RESULTS: A 71% response rate was obtained. The number of persons reporting one or more sharps injuries at the dental school was 42 (37%). Of these, 17 (40%) were percutaneous. Needlesticks and periodontal scaler injuries were the most common. There was no significant correlation (p>0.05) between injury and gender, age group, dominant hand or needle recapping technique. 75% of respondents described their concern of contracting a blood-borne disease from a sharps injury as "high" and 59% of the respondents followed the school's recommended protocol following the injury. 50% of the injuries among the students and interns were not reported. CONCLUSIONS: A more rigorous programme of risk management with respect to sharps injuries needs to be designed and implemented at the school. There is also a need to improve surveillance of and reduce the underreporting of these injuries.

[Implications in terms of costs and manpower of using the Scandinavian dental care model in Brazil]. / Implicações de custo financeiro e recursos humanos em assistência odontológica no Brasil segundo o modelo escandinavo.

The implications in terms of dental manpower and costs of applying the Scandinavian system of dental care in Brazil are specified and analysed. Two societies were chosen for study: those of Sweden, in Scandinavia and Santa Catarina, State in southern Brazil. The theoretical analysis of the implications was undertaken on the basis of an estimate of dental and auxiliary manpower required to deal with the high levels of oral disease and needs (caries, teeth needing extraction, periodontal diseases and the need for full dentures) in Santa Catarina. This estimate was undertaken by means of the World Health Organization-Fédération Dentaire Internationale (WHO-FDI) Model "Health Through Oral Health" (1989). The implications in costs, taking the total Swedish expenditure per dentist as a basis, were calculated and applied to the manpower calls for by the WHO-FDI model. The high costs resulting showed that the application of the Swedish model of dental care to Santa Catarina would be unrealistic. The implications in terms of manpower were calculated by applying the manpower ratios considered desirable in Sweden to Santa Catarina. In order to achieve the Swedish dentist: population ration, Santa Catarina would need 85% more dentists that it had in 1990. Regarding auxiliary personnel, the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina would need to train a large number of new personnel in order to attain the Swedish auxiliary: dentist ratio. In the light of the findings of this study, the adoption of the Swedish model of providing dental care by Santa Catarina in terms of costs and manpower is not feasible. Therefore, alternative approaches for the improvement of oral health in Santa Catarina and in the rest to Brazil should be sought. These approaches should take consider political, cultural and socio-economic aspects of Brazilian society into consideration.