Percepção dos idosos sobre saúde bucal

The assessment of oral health status in elderly patients is essential for the development of specific health policies. The prevalence of oral diseases is high in this population. The self-perception of oral health conditions influences the demand for oral care and quality of life for seniors. The aim of this study was to assess self-perception of oral health status in 100 elderly of both sexes, aged 60 years or older and functionally independent the Basic Health Unit of Felipe Camarão II, Natal, Brazil. For comparison of self-perception data was collected in Bom Pastor, Natal / RN. In this research data were collected a questionnaire grouped into two parts. The first part with the socio-demographic data, subjective and objective condition of oral health and access to the service, the second part GOHAI Index. This index consists of 12 items that make it possible to obtain information involving aspects of chewing, speech, phonation, and self-assessed oral health. The results were subjected to statistical tests of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test (α = 0.05), to identify possible predictors of self-evaluation. As a result, 69% were female, ages ranged from 60 to 86 years, with a median of 65 years. In relation to marital status 48% were married. For the years of study, the sample had an average of 3 years. For the last visit to the dentist, only 27% of seniors had visited the Dentist for less than a year. Regarding the questions about the presence of gingival and dental problems were answered by 46% and 21% respectively. The data on the perception of your teeth and gums, 44%. The index showed GOHAI value for self-perception of 30 points to Felipe Camarão and 28 points for the Bom Pastor, both considered a low perception. We identified predictors of self-rated number of people in the room, participate in any associational activity, there is problems with your teeth and your gums. Concluded a negative self-perception of oral health condition by Gone in both areas, influenced by socioeconomic and cultural issues, although they realize the importance given to oral health, but by the misfortunes of other prominent favored little valuing of oral health

Os significados do tabagismo construídos na dinâmica social

The present study has the purpose of catching the significances of smoking in the social dinamics based on the Theory of Social Representations. It was developed among adults with ages from 20 to 59 years, low social and economic conditions, at Natal RN, Brazil. The Free-words Association Test was applied as the instrument of data collection and a semi-structured interview with the smokers and non-smokers, besides a structured interview with smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers. All data was analyzed by the descriptive statistics using the Analysis of Content Technique of the thematic kind and by the softwares ALCESTE and EVOC 2000. Elaborations about smoking were marked by social, cultural and historical dimension, however they showed sensibility to changes and revealed positive and negative aspects of the habit. The analysis of the semi-structured interviews showed the following categories and under-categories respectively: Initiation of the habit (Friends and Family and Appreciation and Beauty); Psychosocial Implications of smoking (Personal relationship, Work and Financial); Behavior when facing smoking (Positive, Negative and Neutral); Smoking Effects (Smokers´ health and the other people health); Description about oral diseases ( Bad breath, Oral cancer and Dental problems); Smoking treatment (Physician and psychological, Supernatural and Difficulties). ALCESTE analysis presented 4 classes: Ambivalence between pleasure and get ill, Smoking as a trouble and danger to society, Social discrimination of smokers and Mouth as a place of reaffirmation of the discrimination. Those helped us to understand the psychosocial repercussion of the habit. On the social representation structure we identified as a probable central nucleus of the smoker group the categories Pleasure and Bad to the health and as peripheral elements Alcoholic Drink, Financial damage and Nervousness. For the non-smoker group the category Bad to the health comes first and Stop Smoking comes as a peripheral element. Finally, we hope that the knowledge of these representations can contribute to plan and/or to rethink over the professional practices and public policies related to smoking. Besides that, for an amplified comprehension of the study object the discussions over the identified representations should be deepen and amplified to other population and social groups

Impact on quality of life of removable partial denture wearers after 2 years of use

The use of clinical indicators of satisfaction (OHIP) can be applied to evaluate the impact of denture use on patient quality of life, since dental problems and disorders interfere in the normal life of individuals. Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the satisfaction level of patients rehabilitated with removable partial dentures (RPD) after 2 years of use. Methods: An observational study was carried out on 28 patients with a mean age of 45 years, treated with RPD at the Department of Dentistry of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in 2005. Patients signed informed consent and answered the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire on three occasions: prior to rehabilitation and at 3 months and 2 years of denture use. Repeated-measures ANOVA was applied for data analysis. Results: A difference was found between data obtained at the moment of fitting and three months after denture use (p<0.001). However, no variation was observed when comparing data from 3 months and 2 years of use (p>0.05). The variables of gender and age did not interfere in the result (p>0.05). Conclusions: The degree of patient satisfaction after RPD installation was significant at the moment of fitting and 3 months after denture use, but no significant difference was found between 3 months and 2 years of denture use.

Impact on quality of life of removable partial denture wearers after 2 years of use

The use of clinical indicators of satisfaction (OHIP) can be applied to evaluate the impact of denture use on patient quality of life, since dental problems and disorders interfere in the normal life of individuals. Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the satisfaction level of patients rehabilitated with removable partial dentures (RPD) after 2 years of use. Methods: An observational study was carried out on 28 patients with a mean age of 45 years, treated with RPD at the Department of Dentistry of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in 2005. Patients signed informed consent and answered the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire on three occasions: prior to rehabilitation and at 3 months and 2 years of denture use. Repeated-measures ANOVA was applied for data analysis. Results: A difference was found between data obtained at the moment of fitting and three months after denture use (p<0.001). However, no variation was observed when comparing data from 3 months and 2 years of use (p>0.05). The variables of gender and age did not interfere in the result (p>0.05). Conclusions: The degree of patient satisfaction after RPD installation was significant at the moment of fitting and 3 months after denture use, but no significant difference was found between 3 months and 2 years of denture use.

Study of porcelain-zirconia composites for dental applications

Materiais compósitos restauradores representam um dos mais bem sucedidos biomateriais na pesquisa moderna, na substituição do tecido biológico em aparência e função. Nesta linha, a porcelana feldspática tem sido largamente usada em odontologia devido suas interessantes qualidades como estabilidade de cor, propriedades estéticas, elevada durabilidade mecânica, biocompatibilidade, baixa condutividade térmica e elevada resistência ao desgaste. Entretanto, este material é frágil e pode falhar em ambiente oral devido ao micro-vazamento, baixa resistência à tração, descolagem ou fratura. Assim, para melhorar as propriedades mecânicas da porcelana, a zircônia parcialmente estabilizada com Ítria (Y-TZP) pode ser uma boa alternativa para fortalecer e produzir infraestruturas totalmente cerâmicas (coroas e próteses parciais fixas). Portanto, este estudo tem por objetivo avaliar as propriedades mecânicas e características microestruturais da porcelana reforçada com zircônia (3Y-TZP) em diferentes conteúdos e as variáveis que afetam as propriedades mecânicas destes materiais. O estudo de caracterização revelou que a zircônia comercial apresenta melhores resultados quando comparada com a zircônia sintetizada pelo CPM. Assim, os estudos seguintes utilizaram a zircônia comercial para todos os testes requeridos. As partículas de zircônia apresentam elevadas propriedades mecânicas quando comparadas a zircônia aglomerada. Os diferentes conteúdos revelam que as propriedades mecânicas dos compósitos aumentam com o aumento do conteúdo volumétrico até 30% vol.% (198,5Mpa), ou seja, maior resistência à flexão quando comparada com os outros compósitos. Do mesmo modo, a resistência ao desgaste para os compósitos com (30%, vol.% de zircônia) apresenta valores superiores quando comparado aos demais compósitos. Na adesão cerâmico-cerâmico a porcelana exibe elevada adesão para a superfície de zircônia porosa quando comparada a superfície rugosa. Os furos superficiais (PZ) e aplicação de compósitos com camada intermediária (RZI) na zircônia causam separadamente uma melhoria da resistência ao cisalhamento da zircônia-porcelana quando comparados as amostras convencionais de zircônia-porcelana (RZ), embora não sejam estatisticamente significativas (p>0.05). A presença de uma camada intermediaria produz um aumento significativo na força de ligação (~55%) em relação as amostras convencionais (RZ). Portanto, a correta a correta configuração e tratamento superficial podem produzir subestruturas com qualidade e força de ligação adequadas aos requisitos odontológicos.