Is there an association between family structure and the oral health of socially vulnerable children?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the family structure on the oral health status of socially vulnerable children in the Federal District of Brazil. A total of 471 schoolchildren with a mean age of 8.12 (± 0.90) years were examined for dental caries using the CAST instrument. Dental biofilm and oral pain were also registered. Children's guardians were interviewed about socioeconomic variables and oral hygiene habits. The association between oral pain in the previous 30 days and the child's maximum CAST score were analyzed using the Pearson chi-squared test. Multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to determine the predictors of presence of biofilm, oral pain, and caries severity. The prevalence of cavitated dentin lesions was 43.74% and, both dentin and enamel lesions, 52.87%; for both dentitions. An association between pain and severe nontreated carious lesions was found (p < 0.0001). The family structure was not related to the presence of dental caries, but a significant association was found between low maternal education and severe carious lesions (PR = 1.41; p = 0.0077) and oral pain (PR = 1.47; p = 0. 0335); not owning a residence and frequency of toothbrushing were also associated with the substantial presence of biofilm (PR = 1.13, p = 0.0493 and PR = 1.18, p = 0.0470; respectively). For socially vulnerable children, variables related to the socioeconomic status of the families were more relevant than the family structure in relation to their oral health status.

Comparison Between Two Protocols for Ankyloglossia Diagnosis in Newborn Babies.

Purpose: Ankyloglossia is a congenital anomaly that restricts tongue movements and can interfere in breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to compare two protocols for ankyloglossia diagnosis: (1) the Neonatal Tongue Screening Test (NTST); and (2) the Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool (BTAT). Methods: This was a cohort study involving live births at the University Hospital of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil, from August 2017 to July 2018. The gathered data were based on clinical examinations and interviews with mothers. The Stata software program was applied to conduct the analyses using the chi-square test, Spearman's correlation and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Results: A total of 972 mother-baby dyads were evaluated. The protocols showed agreement (P ≤ 0.001) for an ankyloglossia diagnosis, according to Spearman's correlation. The prevalence of ankyloglossia was 5.5 percent (NTST) and 5.1 percent (BTAT) and was greater in the male gender in both protocols. According to the ROC curve, the four cutoff point showed better sensitivity and specificity (98.4 percent and 64.2 percent, respectively). The BTAT was highly accurate in comparison with the NTST. Conclusions: Both protocols showed similar low ankyloglossia prevalence. The Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool protocol is potentially more viable as a screening instrument than the Neonatal Tongue Screening Test protocol because it is simpler and more concise.

Is there an association between family structure and the oral health of socially vulnerable children?

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the family structure on the oral health status of socially vulnerable children in the Federal District of Brazil. A total of 471 schoolchildren with a mean age of 8.12 (± 0.90) years were examined for dental caries using the CAST instrument. Dental biofilm and oral pain were also registered. Children's guardians were interviewed about socioeconomic variables and oral hygiene habits. The association between oral pain in the previous 30 days and the child's maximum CAST score were analyzed using the Pearson chi-squared test. Multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to determine the predictors of presence of biofilm, oral pain, and caries severity. The prevalence of cavitated dentin lesions was 43.74% and, both dentin and enamel lesions, 52.87%; for both dentitions. An association between pain and severe nontreated carious lesions was found (p < 0.0001). The family structure was not related to the presence of dental caries, but a significant association was found between low maternal education and severe carious lesions (PR = 1.41; p = 0.0077) and oral pain (PR = 1.47; p = 0. 0335); not owning a residence and frequency of toothbrushing were also associated with the substantial presence of biofilm (PR = 1.13, p = 0.0493 and PR = 1.18, p = 0.0470; respectively). For socially vulnerable children, variables related to the socioeconomic status of the families were more relevant than the family structure in relation to their oral health status.