Association between place of dental check-ups and work absenteeism among Japanese workers.

OBJECTIVES: Dental check-ups at the workplace provide the opportunity for early detection of dental diseases. Dental check-ups during working hours could reduce the number of days of absence from work due to visits to dental clinics outside the workplace. Although health check-ups are provided to workers in Japan, dental check-ups is not mandatory. This study aimed to determine the association between the place of dental check-ups and absenteeism due to visits to the dental clinic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from an online self-reported worker survey conducted for 2 weeks in March 2017. We applied linear regression analysis with robust variance to determine the association between the place of dental check-ups and absenteeism due to dental clinic visits while adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and oral health covariates. RESULTS: The average age of the 3930 participants was 43.3 ± 11.7 years, and 52.3% were male. The number of days of absenteeism due to dental clinic visits in the past year for those who received check-ups only at the dental clinic and at the workplace were 0.57 ± 2.67 days and 0.21 ± 1.20 days, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, it was found that those who received dental check-ups at the workplace had 0.35 (95% CI, 0.12-0.58) fewer days of absence than those who received dental check-ups at the dental clinic. CONCLUSION: Workers who received dental check-ups at the workplace were associated with fewer days of absence due to dental visits than those who received at the dental clinic.

Patients' perspectives on the use of artificial intelligence in dentistry: a regional survey.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in dentistry is rapidly evolving and could play a major role in a variety of dental fields. This study assessed patients' perceptions and expectations regarding AI use in dentistry. An 18-item questionnaire survey focused on demographics, expectancy, accountability, trust, interaction, advantages and disadvantages was responded to by 330 patients; 265 completed questionnaires were included in this study. Frequencies and differences between age groups were analysed using a two-sided chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests with Monte Carlo approximation. Patients' perceived top three disadvantages of AI use in dentistry were (1) the impact on workforce needs (37.7%), (2) new challenges on doctor-patient relationships (36.2%) and (3) increased dental care costs (31.7%). Major expected advantages were improved diagnostic confidence (60.8%), time reduction (48.3%) and more personalised and evidencebased disease management (43.0%). Most patients expected AI to be part of the dental workflow in 1-5 (42.3%) or 5-10 (46.8%) years. Older patients (> 35 years) expected higher AI performance standards than younger patients (18-35 years) (p < 0.05). Overall, patients showed a positive attitude towards AI in dentistry. Understanding patients' perceptions may allow professionals to shape AI-driven dentistry in the future.

Minimally invasive selective caries removal: a clinical guide.

An evolving understanding of the carious process, along with new research in adhesive restorative materials, has led to a more conservative, minimally invasive and biologically-based approach to managing dental carious lesions. The growing volume of literature has also demonstrated prognostic success in the selective caries excavation technique, subsequently preventing excessive tooth structure removal and injury to the dentine-pulp complex, which maintains pulp vitality and improves the long-term prognosis of the tooth. However, at present, there remains a limited volume of high-quality evidence to support selective caries removal, which subsequently could partly explain some resistance to its use in clinical practice. This clinical technique guide aims to demonstrate the management of carious lesions of moderate-to-deep depth in permanent teeth based on current minimally invasive dental literature.

Quantifying the risk of prosthetic joint infections after invasive dental procedures and the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Dentists face the expectations of orthopedic surgeons and patients with prosthetic joints to provide antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) before invasive dental procedures (IDPs) to reduce the risk of late periprosthetic joint infections (LPJIs), despite the lack of evidence associating IDPs with LPJIs, lack of evidence of AP efficacy, risk of AP-related adverse reactions, and potential for promoting antibiotic resistance. The authors aimed to identify any association between IDPs and LPJIs and whether AP reduces LPJI incidence after IDPs. METHOD: The authors performed a case-crossover analysis comparing IDP incidence in the 3 months immediately before LPJI hospital admission (case period) with the preceding 12-month control period for all LPJI hospital admissions with commercial or Medicare supplemental or Medicaid health care coverage and linked dental and prescription benefits data. RESULTS: Overall, 2,344 LPJI hospital admissions with dental and prescription records (n = 1,160 commercial or Medicare supplemental and n = 1,184 Medicaid) were identified. Patients underwent 4,614 dental procedures in the 15 months before LPJI admission, including 1,821 IDPs (of which 18.3% had AP). Our analysis identified no significant positive association between IDPs and subsequent development of LPJIs and no significant effect of AP in reducing LPJIs. CONCLUSIONS: The authors identified no significant association between IDPs and LPJIs and no effect of AP cover of IDPs in reducing the risk of LPJIs. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: In the absence of benefit, the continued use of AP poses an unnecessary risk to patients from adverse drug reactions and to society from the potential of AP to promote development of antibiotic resistance. Dental AP use to prevent LPJIs should, therefore, cease.

The role of primary dental care practitioners in the long-term management of patients treated for head and neck cancer.

Patients treated for head and neck cancer may be susceptible to a higher incidence of dental disease due to long-term sequelae of treatment for head and neck cancer. Most patients with head and neck cancer are discharged from a hospital environment and responsibility for long-term dental care is transferred back from the restorative dentistry team to the dentist and dental care professionals in primary care. Treatment of these patients should be undertaken in a supportive environment, taking into account the physical and psychological repercussions of previous treatment. With the exception of some surgical procedures, routine dental care is not contraindicated in patients after head and neck cancer treatment and it is expected that the dentist and dental care professionals will be responsible for long-term routine dental treatment. Primary dental care practitioners should be aware of the process to refer patients back to the head and neck cancer multidisciplinary team if they note a suspicious change during their routine clinical examinations. Referral to a restorative dentistry consultant for planning and carrying out complex items of care may sometimes be necessary, but patients should always remain under the long-term care of their primary dental care practitioner.

Minimum intervention oral care: defining the future of caries management.

It is not uncommon that oral healthcare professionals and researchers interchange the use of the terms minimum/minimal intervention and minimally invasive dentistry. However, these terms apply to two different, but related, concepts. Minimum intervention dentistry, to be more appropriately addressed in this paper as minimum intervention oral care (MIOC), is an oral healthcare delivery framework that encompasses four interlinked clinical domains. These domains are: identifying disease - detection, longitudinal risk/susceptibility assessment, investigation, diagnosis and the development of a personalized care plan; prevention of lesions/control of disease - patient behaviour management, non-invasive remineralisation of the enamel and dentine, biofilm and diet control, micro-invasive sealants and infiltration techniques to arrest and reverse incipient lesions; minimally invasive operative procedures including selective carious dentine removal, the "5Rs" management of the tooth-restoration complex (review, refurbish, re-seal, repair and replace) amongst other restorative interventions; and tailored recall/review/re-assessment consultations. This framework includes that minimally invasive operative dentistry (MID), that although a critical operative clinical domain, should be viewed as one of the pillars of minimum intervention oral healthcare (MIOC), applied across all disciplines of restorative dentistry, not just caries management. The aim of this review is to clarify these differences and emphasize the importance of minimally invasive operative dentistry (MID) within the context of minimum intervention oral care (MIOC). MIOC is applicable to all disciplines within restorative dentistry, including clinical caries management.

Promoting the Importance of Recall Visits Among Dental Patients in India Using a Semi-Autonomous AI System.

In many developing countries like India, there is a widespread lack of general awareness about the importance of good oral health, which causes dental patients to neglect their oral hygiene, thus precipitating many long-term ailments. We developed an application that promotes the significance of regular dental checkups and oral health care by explaining to patients how these are intrinsic to overall health. Our application, in essence, extracts relevant health information from published scientific studies according to a patient's medical history and shares it with the patient at the discretion of the supervising dentist, thereby empowering patients to make more informed decisions. We present a detailed overview of our semi- autonomous machine learning-based solution, along with the complex challenges involved in the design, development, and real-world deployment of our application. Finally, we conducted a randomized parallel-group study in India with 224 dental patients over two years to assess the utility of our proposed solution. Results show our application improved the patient recall rate from 21.1% to 37.8% (p-value = 0.024).

Tego: a new concept of teledentistry for the elderly through a web platform and mobile app in the context of the covid-19 pandemic / Tego: un nuevo concepto de teleodontología para adultos mayores a través de una plataforma web y aplicación móvil en el contexto de la pandemia del covid-19

Objective: To develop a new concept of teledentistry for the elderly through a web platform and associated mobile application in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: A new concept for attention via teledentistry of the elderly supported by the web platform/app TEGO (Acronym for Tele-platform of Geriatric and Dental Specialties in Spanish) was developed. Priority and urgent dental care for elderly patients in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was provided onboard a mobile dental clinic equipped with all the necessary conventional dental care facilities as well as state-of-the-art digital technology. Dental care was carried out in five cities of Chile. For the study, 135 elderly patients were treated. The tele-dental care model includes visit-appointment and remote interconsultation with a staff of specialists. To evaluate patient satisfaction aspects, regarding the service / care provided, a user satisfaction survey was applied. Results: A total of 68 questionnaires were completed by patients. The results showed high levels of patients' satisfaction after the priority or urgent dental care, which reached above 75% in all dimensions of the questionnaire (Access to dental care, user treatment, platform, recommendation). Conclusion: The generation of a technological ecosystem for teledentistry can provide a series of important advantages in the attention of elderly patients, by optimizing the dental care coverage by different specialists who can provide attention to a population that has limited or no access to them.

Objetivo: Desarrollar un nuevo concepto de teleodon-tología para adultos mayores a través de una plataforma web y aplicación móvil asociada en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19. Material y Métodos: Se desarrolló un nuevo concepto de atención vía teleodontología del adulto mayor apoyado en la plataforma/app web TEGO (Teleplataforma de Especialidades Geriatricas y Odontológicas). La atención dental prioritaria y urgente para pacientes de edad avanzada en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19 se brindó a bordo de una clínica dental móvil equipada con todas las instalaciones de atención dental convencional necesarias, así como con tecnología digital de última generación. La atención odontológica se realizó en cinco ciudades de Chile. Para el estudio, 135 pacientes de edad avanzada fueron atendidos. El modelo de atención teledental incluye visita-cita e inter-consulta remota con un staff de especialistas. Para evaluar los aspectos de satisfacción del paciente, respecto al servicio/atención brindada, se aplicó una encuesta de satisfacción del usuario. Resultados: Los pacientes completaron un total de 68 cuestionarios. Los resultados mostraron altos niveles de satisfacción de los pacientes tras la atención odontológica prioritaria o urgente, que superó el 75% en todas las dimensiones del cuestionario (Acceso a la atención odontológica, trato al usuario, plataforma, recomendación). Conclusión: La generación de un ecosistema tecnológico para la teleodontología puede brindar una serie de ventajas importantes en la atención de pacientes adultos mayores, al optimizar la cobertura de atención odontológica por parte de diferentes especialistas que pueden brindar atención a una población que tiene acceso limitado o nulo.

Analysis of clinical indicators of teledentistry management for the elderly population during the covid-19 pandemic in Chile / Análisis de indicadores clínicos del manejo de la teleodontología para la población adulta mayor durante la pandemia del covid-19 en Chile

Objective: To analyze clinical indicators of teledentistry management for the elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. Material and Methods:A pilot teledentistry project was developed for dental care of the elderly in 5 regions of Chile. The data obtained were recorded on the TEGO Platform to be subsequently selected and analyzed by the researchers in terms of clinical management indicators: degree of installed occupancy, degree of available occupation, degree of real occupation, interconsultation indicator per patient attended, urgencies according to reason for consultations, unpostponable prosthetic treatment according to reason for consultations, prevention in relation to granted benefits, prevention in relation to the patients cared for, and project absenteeism indicator. Results: The clinical management indicators obtained were as follows: The average degree of installed occupancy was 67%. The average degree of available occupancy was 78%, which accounts for the clinical time in which there are dental chairs and dentists willing to work. The average real occupancy degree was 86%. The average interconsultation indicator per patient observed was 25%. The indicator of urgencies according to the reason for the consultation was 95%, which indicates that the purpose of the study was fulfilled. The average unpostponable prosthetic treatment according to the reason for consultations was 5%. The prevention in relation to granted benefits reached 39%. Finally, the average indicator of absenteeism was 17%. Conclusion: The measurement of clinical management indicators contributes to meet the Chilean Ministry of Health Explicit Health Guarantees (GES), which are: Access, Timely Attention, Quality and Financial Protection.

Objetivo: Analizar indicadores clínicos del manejo de la teleodontología para la población de adultos mayores durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Chile. Material y Métodos: Se desarrolló un proyecto piloto de teleodontología para la atención odontológica del adulto mayor en cinco regiones de Chile. Los datos obtenidos fueron registrados en la plataforma TEGO para ser posteriormente seleccionados y analizados por los investigadores en cuanto a indicadores de gestión clínica: grado de ocupación instalada, grado de ocupación disponible, grado de ocupación real, indicador de interconsulta por paciente atendido, urgencias según motivo por consultas, tratamiento protésico improrrogable según motivo de consultas, prevención en relación a las prestaciones otorgadas, prevención en relación a los pacientes atendidos e indicador de ausentismo del proyecto. Resultados: Los indicadores de gestión clínica obtenidos fueron los siguientes: El grado medio de ocupación instalada fue del 67%. El grado medio de ocupación disponible fue del 78%, lo que da cuenta del tiempo clínico en el que hay sillones dentales y odontólogos dispuestos a trabajar. El grado de ocupación real promedio fue del 86%. El indicador medio de interconsultas por paciente observado fue del 25%. El indicador de urgencias según el motivo de la consulta fue del 95%, lo que indica que se cumplió con el propósito del estudio. El promedio de tratamientos protésicos impostergables según el motivo de consulta fue del 5%. La prevención en relación a las prestaciones otorgadas alcanzó el 39%. Finalmente, el indicador promedio de ausentismo fue de 17%. Conclusión: La medición de indicadores de gestión clínica contribuye a cumplir con las Garantías Explícitas en Salud (GES) del Ministerio de Salud de Chile, que son: Acceso, Oportunidad, Calidad y Protección Financiera.

Prevention of oral cancer through the implementation of a teledentistry platform for the elderly / Prevención del cáncer oral mediante la implementación de una plataforma de teleodontología para adultos mayores

Objective: To contribute to early diagnosis of lesions in older patients, including potentially malignant lesions or those suspected of oral cancer by support of a web-based teledentistry platform. Material and Methods:This report contains information from 27 patients with oral lesions out of a total of 135 who received mobile dental care. Specialists who participated in the study involved professionals from the disciplines of periodontics, temporomandibular disorders, oral implantology, oral radiology, oral pathology and geriatrics. Referral consultations were carried out synchronously or asynchronously. Clinical information sent to oral pathology specialists involved a medical history and a traditional description of the lesion which considered size, color, limits, symptomatology, type of surface, consistency, location, and evolution. This information was complemented with a three-dimensional representation of the lesion, simulating an extra/intra oral clinical examination including a marker tool that allows to perform the anatomical-referencing of oral lesions. Results:27 consultations from 26 patients were evaluated for oral pathology lesions. 12 lesions were diagnosed as reactive, 5 were infectious lesions, 4 of vascular etiology, 3 pigmented lesions (amalgam tattoo and smoking-related melanosis) and 3 potentially malignant lesions. The most frequent location was the tongue with 8 cases, followed by the gingiva and jugal mucosa, each with 5 cases. Four lesions required biopsy and histopathological report. Conclusion: A teledentistry platform including digital representations of oral lesions using different digital markers, also associated with a mobile system to provide dental care, constitutes an excellent tool to treat patients that present oral lesions with potential cancer risk.

Objetivo: Contribuir al diagnóstico precoz de lesiones en pacientes mayores, incluyendo lesiones potencialmente malignas o con sospecha de cáncer oral mediante el apoyo de una plataforma de teleodontología basada en la web.Material y Métodos: Este informe contiene información de 27 pacientes con lesiones orales de un total de 135 que recibieron atención odontológica móvil. Los especialistas que participaron en el estudio incluyeron profesionales de las disciplinas de periodoncia, trastornos temporomandibulares, implantología oral, radiología oral, patología oral y geriatría. Las interconsultas se realizaron de forma sincrónica o asincrónica. La información clínica enviada a los especialistas en patología oral involucró una historia clínica y una descripción tradicional de la lesión que consideró tamaño, color, límites, sintomatología, tipo de superficie, consistencia, localización y evolución. Esta información se complementó con una representación tridimensional de la lesión, simu-lando un examen clínico extra/intraoral incluyendo una herramienta marcadora que permite realizar la referenciación anatómica de las lesiones orales. Resultados: Se evaluaron 27 consultas de 26 pacientes por lesiones de patología bucal. Se diagnosticaron 12 lesiones como reactivas, 5 lesiones infecciosas, 4 de etiología vascular, 3 lesiones pigmentadas (tatuaje de amalgama y melanosis por tabaquismo) y 3 lesiones potencialmente malignas. La localización más frecuente fue lengua con 8 casos, seguida de encía y mucosa yugal con 5 casos cada una. Cuatro lesiones requirieron biopsia e informe histopatológico. Conclusión: Una plataforma de teleodontología que incluye representaciones digitales de lesiones orales utilizando diferentes marcadores digitales, también asociada a un sistema móvil para brindar atención odontológica, constituye una excelente herramienta para tratar pacientes que presentan lesiones orales con riesgo potencial de cáncer.

Dentistry during COVID-19: patients' knowledge and satisfaction toward health protocols COVID-19 during dental treatment.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an infectious disease primarily spreading through droplet infection in dental treatment. Patient satisfaction is an indicator of healthcare quality service. Quality of healthcare service and patient satisfaction has been affected by the COVID­19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the knowledge and satisfaction toward health protocols COVID-19 during dental treatment among dental patients. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 270 dental patients using a self­designed questionnaire consisting of knowledge and satisfaction about health protocols COVID-19 during dental treatment through a random sampling technique. Data were imported to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to identify the factors associated with their knowledge and satisfaction. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistical significance. RESULTS: Totally, 270 dental patients with mean age of 37.6 ± 6.7 years participated in the study. The mean knowledge score was 36.7 ± 3.5, as considerable number of participants were unaware about the risk associated with dental treatment as well as restrictions imposed on dental procedures. About 18% of participants experienced one or other form of dental complaints during the lockdown period. The overall level of patient satisfaction was 44.6%. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that, public knowledge is to be improved about risk of virus transmission that can be related with dental treatment and also people should be encouraged to use virtual facilities, such as teledentistry, so that no dental emergencies is left untreated during the pandemic time. In addition, the level of satisfaction was in a medium level for dental patients in the study area. Specifically, we deduced from the results that social/physical distancing measures are one of the mechanisms to decrease the fear of exposure to the COVID-19.

Oral health in Brazil: What were the dental procedures performed in Primary Health Care?

This cross-sectional study aims to describe the primary dental care procedures performed by Oral Health Teams (OHTs), adhering to the third cycle of the "National Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care" (PMAQ-AB) in Brazil. A descriptive analysis was performed through 26 dental procedures, including spontaneous, preventive, restorative/prosthetic and surgical procedures, and actions of cancer monitoring. Each conducted procedure assigned a score to the OHT, the final score being the sum of the number of procedures performed by the OHTs. These scores were then compared among the geographic regions of the country. Most OHTs perform basic dental procedures, such as supragingival scaling, root planning and coronal polishing (98.1%), composite filling (99.0%), and permanent tooth extraction (98.6%). The frequency related to dental prosthesis and monitoring of oral cancer decreased. Only 12.9% of the OHTs carries out biopsies, 30.9% monitor patients undergoing biopsy, 15.1% carry out impression for prostheses, and 13.6% carry out prostheses' installation. The scores reveal that OHT's performed, on average, 19.45 (±3.16) dental procedures. The OHTs in the South, Southeast, and Northeast had a higher number of primary dental procedures, while the teams in the North and Midwest performed, on average, fewer procedures. The Brazilian regions with the highest dental need have the lowest number of dental procedures. It is necessary to increase the range of procedures offered by OHT and reduce regional inequalities, adapting to the needs of the population in order to achieve comprehensive oral health.

Self-perception of oral health among tertiary-care users: quanti-qualitative analysis with chronic kidney disease patients

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global public health challenge. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between self-perception of oral health and clinical condition among patients with CKD. This isa quanti-qualitative survey conducted in a CKD specialized service. The sample consisted of 60 patients who underwent oral examinations to have their severity of caries (DMFT) and need for dental prosthesis checked. Age, sex, time on dialysis, marital status, skin color, education and pre-existing diseases were also analyzed. Among the kidney patients who agreed to undergo the clinical examinations and showed communication skills, some were selected, and three focus groups were created, with the participation of a moderator and six to 10 kidney patients in each group. Their speeches were processed in the IRAMUTEQ software and analyzed through the similarity analysis and word cloud techniques. As for profile, the patients were aged 60.23 ± 10.87 years old; were male (73.33%); were on dialysis for 41.90 ± 56.57 months; were married (61.67%); were white (76.67%); had incomplete primary education (41.66%); had arterial hypertension (76.67%); had a DMFT index of 22.55 ± 8.39; 43.33% needed an upper complete denture; and 30.00% needed a lower complete denture. The similarity analysis revealed many doubts and uncertainties about current health services, which can be proven by the words 'no' and 'treatment'. The quanti-qualitative analysis showed a high rate of dental loss and the need for complete dentures and suggests inequities in oral health care for chronic kidney disease patients, especially in tertiary care. There was a positive representation regarding oral health, but the lexicographical analyses of the textual corpusconfirmed the self-perception of lack of dental care.

Urgência e emergência clínico-cirúrgica odontológica na atenção primária / Urgency and clinical-surgical dental emergency in primary care

Atenção Primária em Saúde Bucal é um assunto abrangente que aborda desde a atuação da equipe de saúde bucal, passando por medidas de prevenção e controle em tempos de pandemia, atenção à gestante e pré-natal, à saúde da pessoa idosa, a doenças crônicas, pacientes com HIV/AIDS e hepáticas virais, pessoas com deficiência e câncer de boca, emergências e urgências odontológicas. Cada profissional da equipe de saúde bucal tem suas próprias competências e atribuições, e a equipe como um todo tem um amplo campo de atuação na atenção primária à saúde bucal. As medidas preventivas e de controle incluem cuidados com pacientes e profissionais, higiene das mãos, limpeza e desinfecção de superfícies e materiais odontológicos. A atenção à gestante e ao pré-natal inclui acompanhamento dos cuidados com a cavidade oral durante a gestação e prevenção de doenças como gengivite gravídica e granuloma gravídico. A atenção à saúde da pessoa idosa destaca a importância da saúde bucal para a qualidade de vida deste grupo. A atenção especial às doenças crônicas inclui hipertensão arterial e diabetes, e a atenção a pacientes com HIV/AIDS e hepáticas virais destaca a importância do acompanhamento bucal nestes casos. As emergências e urgências odontológicas são definidas pela American Dental Association e incluem alterações na consciência e respiração.

Oral Health Primary Care is a comprehensive subject that covers the performance of the oral health team, including measures for prevention and control during pandemics, care for pregnant and prenatal women, elderly health, chronic diseases, patients with HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, people with disabilities, and oral cancer, as well as dental emergencies and urgencies. Each member of the oral health team has their own competencies and responsibilities, and the team as a whole has a broad field of action in oral health primary care. Preventive and control measures include patient and professional care, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and dental materials. Care for pregnant and prenatal women includes monitoring oral cavity care during pregnancy and prevention of diseases such as pregnancy gingivitis and pregnancy granuloma. Attention to elderly health highlights the importance of oral health for the quality of life of this group. Special attention to chronic diseases includes hypertension and diabetes, and attention to patients with HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis emphasizes the importance of oral health follow-up in these cases. Dental emergencies and urgencies are defined by the American Dental Association and include changes in consciousness and breathing.

La Atención Primaria en Salud Bucal es un tema amplio que abarca desde la actuación del equipo de salud bucal, pasando por medidas de prevención y control en tiempos de pandemia, atención a la gestante y pre-natal, la salud de la persona mayor, las enfermedades crónicas, pacientes con VIH / SIDA y hepatitis víricas, personas con discapacidad y cáncer de boca, emergencias y urgencias odontológicas. Cada profesional del equipo de salud bucal tiene sus propias competencias y responsabilidades, y el equipo en su conjunto tiene un amplio campo de actuación en la atención primaria a la salud bucal. Las medidas preventivas y de control incluyen cuidados con pacientes y profesionales, higiene de manos, limpieza y desinfección de superficies y materiales odontológicos. La atención a la gestante y el pre-natal incluye el seguimiento de los cuidados con la cavidad oral durante el embarazo y prevención de enfermedades como la gingivitis gravídica y el granuloma gravídico. La atención a la salud de la persona mayor destaca la importancia de la salud bucal para la calidad de vida de este grupo. La atención especial a las enfermedades crónicas incluye hipertensión arterial y diabetes, y la atención a pacientes con VIH / SIDA y hepatitis víricas destaca la importancia del seguimiento bucal en estos casos. Las emergencias y urgencias odontológicas se definen por la Asociación Dental Americana e incluyen cambios en la conciencia y la respiración.

Comparación del desempeño técnico-asistencial en programas escolares con diferentes modalidades de implementación / Comparison of technical-assisstance performance in school programs with different implementation modalities

Se comparó el desempeño técnico-asistencial de 2 programas de atención odontológica con iguales protocolos de atención y diferente modalidad de implementación. Ambos programas se caracterizaron por un perfil preventivo-promocional; uso de protocolos validados según riesgo biológico, atención odontológica adaptada a sedes no convencionales, recursos asignados por método de necesidades; ejecución por recurso humano pre-profesional supervisado y modulación por altas. La modalidad de implementación difirió en la densidad/concentración de las actividades realizadas: en el Programa Extensivo (PE) las acciones se implementaron con frecuencia semanal; en el Programa Intensivo (PI) las acciones se concentraron en una semana en el año. Cobertura anual: PE = 120 escolares de 6 a 9 años de edad; PI = 180 escolares y preescolares de 3 a 12 años de edad. Se midió la cantidad de prestaciones, sesiones y tiempo -en minutos- hasta alcanzar el Alta Básica Operativa (ABO). Para comparar grupos (PI y PE) se utilizaron los tests: U de Mann Whitney, t de Student para mues-tras independientes, chi cuadrado y comparación de proporciones. La razón de prestaciones/sesión fue significativamente mayor (p=0,000) en el programa intensivo. El número de prestaciones hasta el alta (ABO) y la razón tiempo/sesión no mostraron diferencias entre programas (p=0,8 p=0,087), mientras que se evidenció una mayor razón tiempo/prestación y tiempo en alcanzar el alta (ABO) en la modalidad extensiva (p=0,000). La modalidad intensiva mostró mayor eficiencia en el desempeño técnico asistencial que la extensiva (AU)

Aim: To compare technical-care performance of 2 dental care programs with the same care protocols and different implementation modalities. Both programs shared the following features: preventive-promotional profile; use of validated clinical protocols according to biological risk, dental care adapted to non-conventional settings, allocation of resources by needs method; supervised pre-professional human resource and modulation by discharges. The implementation mode differed in the density/concentration of the activities: in the extensive program (EP) the actions were implemented on a weekly basis along the year; in the intensive program (IP) the actions were concentrated in one week in the year. Annual coverage of the programs: 180 schoolchildren and preschoolers (3 -12 years old); EP = 120 schoolchildren (6 - 9 years old). We measured the following variables: the number of dental services performed, the number of sessions and the time, in minutes, to reach the basic operating discharge (BOD). We used the following tests to compare groups (IP and EP): Mann Whitney U; Student's t for independent samples, chi square and comparison of proportions test. The action per session ratio was significantly higher (p=0.000) in the intensive program. The number of actions performed until discharge (BOD) and the time per session ratio did not show differences between programs (p=0.8 p=0.087). In the extensive mode, compared to intensive mode, it took longer to reach discharge (BOD) (p=0.000) The program implemented with intensive modality (PI) showed greater efficiency regarding technical-care performance when compared to the extensive mode (AU)

Provision of Endodontic Treatment in Dentistry amid COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Clinical Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: The risk of acquiring COVID-19 during a pandemic is a major concern among health care workers. Dental professionals being in close proximity to the patients had been exposed more than other health care workers. Hence, all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) are strictly advised to be followed. METHODS: A detailed relevant literature search was conducted in international databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct, from January 2020 to November 2020. All the studies that provided recommendations regarding endodontic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic were included, and those that were not in the English language, case reports, book chapters, and short communications were excluded in this review. In the end, only 6 articles were selected for the systematic review considering that complete information regarding the provision of dental care in the time of COVID-19 with diagnostic accuracy (STARD) was provided. RESULTS: Endodontic treatments were restricted to only emergency dental procedures, and all other patients have advised medications and catered through teledentistry. Endodontic emergencies were advised to be carried out with minimal aerosol production procedures. CONCLUSION: Provision of endodontic care during COVID-19 restricted to only emergency dental procedures by strictly following standard operating procedures. A protocol for COVID-19 prevention was followed by all the dentists and the dental staff in the dental clinics.

Evaluación de la calidad del servicio de Prótesis Estomatológica, centrada en el liderazgo / Assessment of dental prosthesis quality service focused on leadership

RESUMEN Fundamento: Para lograr la calidad en los servicios estomatológicos se realizan investigaciones sobre su evaluación. Las definiciones entre los autores son variadas en dependencia de la importancia otorgada a diferentes dimensiones. Hasta el momento no se ha encontrado una propuesta que favorezca el protagonismo de los líderes. Objetivo: Diseñar una metodología para la evaluación de la calidad del servicio de Prótesis Estomatológica centrada en el liderazgo en clínicas estomatológicas municipales. Metodología: Se emplearon métodos teóricos y empíricos. Con el análisis de los documentos que rigen el proceso de evaluación de la calidad se identificaron las dimensiones priorizadas y los aspectos que se deben considerar en la elaboración de la propuesta. Resultados: La metodología se estructuró a partir de las siguientes etapas: planificación y organización, recolección de la información y ejecución y control del proceso y para cada una de ellas se establecieron los procedimientos que se deben seguir para realizar una evaluación sistemática y alcanzar la calidad del servicio. Conclusiones: Se diseñó una metodología para la evaluación de la calidad de los servicios de Prótesis Estomatológica centrada en el liderazgo y estructurada en tres etapas.

ABSTRACT Background: In order to achieve dental quality service, some researches on its evaluation is conducted. Definitions among authors are diverse depending on the importance given to unlike scopes. So far, no proposal has been found that favors the leaders´ protagonism. Objective: To design a methodology for the assessment of dental Prosthesis quality service focused on leadership in municipal dental clinics. Methodology: Theoretical and empirical methods were used. Though the documents´ enquiry that rule the quality evaluation process, highlighted dimensions and aspects to be considered in the proposal production were identified. Results: The methodology was structured on the basis of the following stages: planning and organization, information gathering, execution and process control, also the procedures to be followed to conduct a systematic assessment and achieve quality service were established. Conclusions: A methodology for the evaluation of dental prosthesis quality services focused on leadership and structured in three stages was designed.

Toxicity Assessment of Long-Term Exposure to Non-Thermal Plasma Activated Water in Mice.

Non-thermal plasma activated water (PAW) has recently emerged as a powerful antimicrobial agent. Despite numerous potential bio-medical applications, studies concerning toxicity in live animals, especially after long-term exposure, are scarce. Our study aimed to assess the effects of long-term watering with PAW on the health of CD1 mice. PAW was prepared from distilled water with a GlidArc reactor according to a previously published protocol. The pH was 2.78. The mice received PAW (experimental group) or tap water (control group) daily for 90 days as the sole water source. After 90 days, the following investigations were performed on the euthanatized animals: gross necropsy, teeth mineral composition, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, hematology, blood biochemistry, methemoglobin level and cytokine profile. Mice tolerated PAW very well and no adverse effects were observed during the entire period of the experiment. Histopathological examination of the organs and tissues did not reveal any structural changes. Moreover, the expression of proliferation markers PCNA and Ki67 has not been identified in the epithelium of the upper digestive tract, indicating the absence of any pre- or neoplastic transformations. The results of our study demonstrated that long-term exposure to PAW caused no toxic effects and could be used as oral antiseptic solution in dental medicine.