Health Education: Development and Validation of a Guideline for Oral Hygiene of Children Undergoing Cancer Treatment

Children with cancer commonly present oral health impairments due to lack of orientation about oral hygiene, which should be directed to caregivers since they are essential in this process. We developed and validated a guideline directed to caregivers for oral hygiene of children with cancer. This exploratory methodological study developed an educational guideline in three stages: analysis of oral health of children attended at the oncology service; literature review and development of the guideline for oral hygiene; semantic, appearance, and content validation by dentists, education professionals, and the target population. We used the Educational Content Validation Instrument in Health, and agreements of ≥ 80 % among evaluators were considered to maintain or modify the assessed items. Professionals and caregivers were mostly female; the latter were predominantly mothers with low educational level from inland areas of Pernambuco state (Brazil). Most professionals had more than ten years of experience in pediatric dentistry. Agreement was > 80 % in all items. The content of the guideline for oral hygiene was valid and relevant to be used in children with cancer.

Los niños con cáncer comúnmente presentan afecciones en la salud bucal por falta de orientación sobre la higiene bucal, la cual debe ser dirigida a los cuidadores ya que son fundamentales en este proceso. Desarrollamos y validamos una guía dirigida a cuidadores para la higiene bucal de niños con cáncer. Este estudio metodológico exploratorio desarrolló una directriz educativa en tres etapas: análisis de la salud bucal de los niños atendidos en el servicio de oncología; revisión de la literatura y desarrollo de la guía para la higiene oral; validación semántica, de apariencia y de contenido por parte de odontólogos, profesionales de la educación y población objetivo. Se utilizó el Instrumento de Validación de Contenido Educativo en Salud, y se consideraron acuerdos ≥ 80 % entre evaluadores para mantener o modificar los ítems evaluados. Los profesionales y cuidadores eran en su mayoría mujeres; estas últimas eran predominantemente madres con bajo nivel educativo del interior del estado de Pernambuco (Brasil). La mayoría de los profesionales tenían más de diez años de experiencia en odontopediatría. La concordancia fue > 80 % en todos los ítems. El contenido de la guía de higiene oral fue válido y pertinente para ser utilizado en niños con cáncer.

Dental splints: types and time of immobilization post tooth avulsion.

Avulsion is defined as the complete displacement of the tooth out of its socket with disruption of the fibers of periodontal ligament, remaining some of them adhered to the cementum and the rest to the alveolar bone. This condition is more frequent in young permanent teeth, because the root development is still incomplete. Splints are used to immobilize traumatized teeth that suffered damage in their structures of support, preventing their constant movement. The literature has shown that after replantation, it is necessary to use splints in order to immobilize the teeth during the initial period, which is essential for the repair of periodontal ligament; the use of semi-rigid splint is more indicated than the rigid one, and long periods of splinting showed that substitutive resorption or ankylosis is an expected complication. Thus, the aim of this review is to describe the different types of splints; their time of permanency, and its influence on the process of healing and reparation on the occurrence of substitutive resorption or ankylosis. It is very important to keep gathering knowledge about this content, since it has been proved that the approaches and the protocols keep changing over time.

Effectiveness and Legitimacy of the Motivational Interviewing With Caregivers on the Oral Health of Special Patients / Eficacia y Legitimidad de la Entrevista Motivacional con los Cuidadores sobre la Salud Oral de Pacientes Especiales

Difficulty of caregivers in performing oral hygiene for Patients with Special Needs, usually leads to demotivation and negligence. In order to adhere to healthy habits, an intervention model was created: Motivational Interview (MI). It consists of a collaborative conversation to strengthen motivation and commitment to change. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and legitimacy of MI in a single session on the oral health of children with special needs, unable to perform the ir hygiene. Methods: Exploratory study with paired randomization, double-blind, including caregivers of patients aged 2 to 19 years treated at the Physical and Motor Rehabilitation Center of IMIP/Recife-Brazil. Caregivers were allocated to a test (Motiv ational Interview) or control (Traditional Counseling) group. In t0, they answered questionnaires, and the child's dental chart and Vis ible Plaque Index (VPI) were filled. MI group participated in a 10 min Motivational Interview involving guidance on brushing techniq ues and making mouth openers. TC group attended a lecture addressing the same theme. In t1, questionnaires were reapplied, followed by a new VPI and dental chart, in addition to a satisfaction survey regarding the methodology used. Results: After 30 days, the MI group showed a decrease in VPI when comparing the medians (14.70 vs. 10.71) and an increase in the frequency of daily brushing to 03 x or more (44.4 % vs. 77.8 %), while the TC group remained practically stable (8.75 vs. 10.71 and 28.6), but with no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 5 %). Both legitimized the workshop as a pleasurable activity (100 %) and felt motivated after completion (TC = 85.7 %, MI = 100 %). Conclusion: A single session of MI reduced VPI from disabled children, however, without proving to be more effective than Traditional Counseling.

La dificultad de los cuidadores para realizar la higiene oral en pacientes con necesidades especiales, generalmente conduce a la desmotivación y negligencia. Con el objetivo de adherirse a los hábitos saludables, se creó un modelo de intervención a partir de una conversación colaborativa: Entrevista Motivacional (EM). El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la eficacia y la legitimidad de la EM en la salud oral para los PNE infantiles. Estudio exploratorio con aleatorización pareada, doble ciego, que incluye cuidadores de pacientes de 2 a 19 años tratados en el Centro de Rehabilitación Física y Motora del IMIP/Recife- Brasil. Los cuidadores fueron asignados en dos grupos: prueba (Entrevista Motivacional - EM) y control (Consejería Tradicional - CT). En t0, se respondieron los cuestionarios y se realizó el Odontograma y el Índice de Placa Visible (IPV) del niño. Grupo EM participó en una entrevista motivacional de 10 minutos que incluyó orientación sobre las técnicas de cepillado y la apertura de la cavidad oral. Grupo CT asistió a una conferencia sobre el mismo tema. En t1, se volvieron a aplicar los cuestionarios, seguidos de una nueva IPV y un odontograma, además de una encuesta de satisfacción sobre la metodología utilizada. Después de 30 días, el grupo EM mostró una disminución en IPV al comparar las media- nas (14,70 vs. 10,71) y un aumento en la frecuencia diaria de cepillado a 03x o más (44,4 % vs. 77,8 %), mientras que el grupo CT permaneció prácticamente estable (8,75 vs. 8,92 y 28,6), pero sin diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos (p = 5 %). Ambos legitimaron el taller como una actividad placentera (100 %) y se sintieron motivados después de la finalización (AT = 85,7 %, EM = 100 %). Una sola sesión de EM redujo la IPV de las PNE, sin demostrar que es más efectiva que la asesoría tradicional.