Categories of indigenous 'homelessness' people and good practice responses to their needs

Mainstream concepts of homelessness do not serve Indigenous people well. Those designing policies or programs for Indigenous homeless people may need to re-think or change their concepts of homeless in order to adequately understand and respond to the needs of this group of people.

Complex odontoma associated with dentigerous cyst in maxillary sinus: case report and computed tomography features

Tumoural and cystic lesions are common findings in the daily practice of dental professionals and maxillofacial radiologists. However, simultaneous lesions are rare and represent a diagnostic challenge to overcome. Among tumoural pathologies, odontomas are the most common odontogenic tumour of the jaws. Cystic transformation or development from the tumoural capsule are well recognized in situations such as ameloblastomas originated from a dentigerous cyst. Otherwise, despite literature reports, dentigerous cysts arising from odontomas are very rare and could lead to misdiagnosis. Here, we report a case of a complex odontoma associated with a dentigerous cyst in the maxillary sinus, focussing on the tomographic features and a differential imaging approach to the diagnosis of these lesions.

Absence and hypoplasia of the mental foramen detected in CBCT images: a case report

The mental foramen (MF) is an important anatomic landmark of the mandible, through which the mental nerve and blood vessels emerge. The importance of MF in dental practice is especially related to dental implants placement and other surgical procedures in the region. It is fundamental to be careful in order to avoid nerve and vessels injury during procedures. Anatomic variations of the MF can be found, such as occurrence of multiple foramina and unusual location. In very rare occasions, the absence of MF can be detected. The observation of this variation is not always possible using only conventional radiographs. The modern imaging resource cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) allows an accurate three-dimensional assessment of MF, as well as the identification of its variations. The aim of this article is to report MF absence and hypoplasia detected in CBCT images of a 27-year-old daughter and her 63-year-old mother, both from Brazil. Despite the MF anatomic variations, they presented no sensorial disturbance in the regions supplied by the mental nerve.

Audiology in Brazil

The profession of audiology took root in Brazil nearly a half a century ago and has since blossomed into a flourishing, well-developed field. Currently, audiologists in Brazil work at private institutions, including private medical practices and dedicated speech and hearing clinics. They are also employed in a wide array of public institutions, including community clinics, elementary schools, colleges, and universities. In both the private sector and health clinics, audiologists perform diagnostic evaluations of auditory and vestibular disorders, select and fit hearing aids, and provide aural rehabilitation. At the public level, they assist with workers` health programs, dispense hearing aids, and aural rehabilitation. There is always room to grow, however, and the future of audiology in Brazil holds both challenges and opportunity. The following article will sketch the development of audiology training and practice in Brazil, provide a picture of how the field stands today, and summarize the unique challenges which the profession faces in this large and diverse nation.

Image quality assessment and medical physics evaluation of different portable dental X-ray units

Introduction: Recently developed portable dental X-ray units increase the mobility of the forensic odontologists and allow more efficient X-ray work in a disaster field, especially when used in combination with digital sensors. This type of machines might also have potential for application in remote areas, military and humanitarian missions, dental care of patients with mobility limitation, as well as imaging in operating rooms. Objective: To evaluate radiographic image quality acquired by three portable X-ray devices in combination with four image receptors and to evaluate their medical physics parameters. Materials and methods: Images of five samples consisting of four teeth and one formalin-fixed mandible were acquired by one conventional wall-mounted X-ray unit, MinRay (R) 60/70 kVp, used as a clinical standard, and three portable dental X-ray devices: AnyRay (R) 60 kVp, Nomad (R) 60 kVp and Rextar (R) 70 kVp, in combination with a phosphor image plate (PSP), a CCD, or a CMOS sensor. Three observers evaluated images for standard image quality besides forensic diagnostic quality on a 4-point rating scale. Furthermore, all machines underwent tests for occupational as well as patient dosimetry. Results: Statistical analysis showed good quality imaging for all system, with the combination of Nomad (R) and PSP yielding the best score. A significant difference in image quality between the combination of the four X-ray devices and four sensors was established (p < 0.05). For patient safety, the exposure rate was determined and exit dose rates for MinRay (R) at 60 kVp, MinRay (R) at 70 kVp, AnyRay (R), Nomad (R) and Rextar (R) were 3.4 mGy/s, 4.5 mGy/s, 13.5 mGy/s, 3.8 mGy/s and 2.6 mGy/s respectively. The kVp of the AnyRay (R) system was the most stable, with a ripple of 3.7%. Short-term variations in the tube output of all the devices were less than 10%. AnyRay (R) presented higher estimated effective dose than other machines. Occupational dosimetry showed doses at the operator`s hand being lowest with protective shielding (Nomad (R): 0.1 mu Gy). It was also low while using remote control (distance > 1 m: Rextar (R) < 0.2 mu Gy, MinRay (R) < 0.1 mu Gy). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated the feasibility of three portable X-ray systems to be used for specific indications, based on acceptable image quality and sufficient accuracy of the machines and following the standard guidelines for radiation hygiene. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.