This controlled clinical trial evaluated the 2-year clinical performance of a one-bottle etch-and-rinse adhesive and resin composite system (Excite/Tetric Ceram) compared to a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) (Vitremer/3M) in non-carious cervical lesions. Seventy cervical restorations (35 resin composite - RC- restorations and 35 RMGIC restorations) were placed by a single operator in 30 patients under rubber dam isolation without mechanical preparation. All restorations were evaluated blindly by 2 independent examiners using the modified USPHS criteria at baseline, and after 6, 12 and 24 months. Data were analyzed statistically by Fisher's exact and McNemar tests. After 2 years, 59 out of 70 restorations were evaluated. As much as 78.8% retention rate was recorded for RC restorations, while 100% retention was obtained for RMGIC restorations. Fisher's exact test showed significant differences (p=0.011) for retention. However, there were no significant differences for marginal integrity, marginal discoloration, anatomic form and secondary caries between the RC and RMGIC restorations. The McNemar test detected significant differences for Excite/TC between baseline and the 2-year recall for retention (p=0.02), marginal integrity (p=0.002) and anatomic form (p=0.04). Therefore, the one-bottle etch-and-rinse bonding system/resin composite showed an inferior clinical performance compared to the RMGIC.

A atenção sustentada e vigilância são alguns dos processos que caracterizam a atenção e fundamentais para o desenvolvimento de algumas habilidades. OBJETIVO: Propor um instrumento comportamental simples, de fácil e rápida aplicação para auxiliar na avaliação da habilidade de atenção auditiva sustentada. Estudo prospectivo. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Crianças voluntárias de 6 a 11 anos de idade, 139 do gênero feminino e 141 do masculino. O teste foi denominado Teste da Habilidade da Atenção Auditiva Sustentada e baseado no Teste de Desempenho Contínuo. Consiste na apresentação biaural e diótica, de uma lista de 100 palavras monossilábicas nas quais estão inclusas 20 vezes o monossílabo que deverá ser identificado. Esta lista é apresentada seis vezes sem interrupção. É realizado em cabina acústica, com auxílio de um CD player acoplado a um audiômetro de dois canais a 50 dBNS e tem uma duração média de 9 minutos.O resultado do teste é obtido pela pontuação total e pelo decréscimo de vigilância. RESULTADOS: A obtenção dos resultados mostrou-se fácil e rápida. Não foi encontrada significância estatística nos resultados para ambos os gêneros, porém significativa diferença foi encontrada entre as idades. CONCLUSÃO: O teste proposto não apresentou qualquer desconforto às crianças participantes e mostrou-se altamente sugestivo para avaliar a habilidade de atenção auditiva sustentada em crianças.

s objetivos do presente estudo foram determinar o perfil profissional dos 248 cirurgiões-dentistas graduados na Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru -USP entre 1996 e 2000, constatar se há a adoção de medidas educativopreventivas de caráter coletivo por parte destes profissionais e determinar o grau de satisfação profissional, através de um questionário contendo questões abertas e de múltipla escolha. O índice de retorno foi de 39,5%. A análise dos resultados revelou que os cirurgiões-dentistas eram predominantemente do gênero masculino, escolheram a Odontologia como profissão por afinidade e consideraram bom o curso de Graduação. Os resultados demonstraram que os profissionais ainda não despertaram para a importância da educação e da prevenção, principalmente em nível coletivo. Concluiu-se que o perfil predominante do profissional é aquele que trabalha no consultório particular próprio (38,8%) ou por porcentagem (25,5%), sendo que 26,5% atende em algum Convênio ou Cooperativa e apenas 12,2% trabalham na rede pública. Embora 63,3% tenham afirmado que se sentem realizados profissionalmente, apenas 12,2% estão financeiramente realizados. Uma das maiores dificuldades enfrentadas pelos cirurgiões-dentistas é a alta competitividade e saturação do mercado de trabalho. UNITERMOS:Recursos humanos em odontologia; Prática profissional; Odontólogos; Questionários. INTRODUÇÃOO Brasil apresenta uma proporção de 1.020 cirurgiões-dentistas por habitante, melhor inclusive do que a recomendada pela Organização Mundial de Saúde, que é de 1 cirurgião-dentista para 1.200 habitantes. O problema é que a distribuição de dentistas nos centros urbanos e no interior é bastante desequilibrada, concentrando-se nas regiões de maior renda, com destaque para as clínicas particulares. São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro apresentam, por exemplo, proporções de 1/ 635 e 1/713, respectivamente, enquanto o Maranhão oferece à população somente 1 cirurgião-dentista para 4.941 habitantes 13 . A pouca procura por tratamento odontológico se deve à perda do poder aquisitivo por parte da população, que nos últimos anos provocou uma "fuga" dos consultórios. Com o salário mínimo fixado em torno de R$ 200,00, dificilmente a maioria da população tem condições de procurar tratamento dentário. A partir do momento em que os consultórios ficam "vazios", o trabalho autônomo perde força e dá lugar ao trabalho assalariado direto (contratação) ou indireto (credenciamento). Essa inversão promove mudanças no exercício profissional e também exige a busca de alterações de postura diante dessas novas situações 13 . 283J Appl Oral Sci 2003; 11(4): 283-9

Purpose: to verify the psychometric properties -validity and reliability -and the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the "Neonatal Tongue Screening Test" from the Lingual Frenulum Protocol for Infants. Methods: this is an experimental retrospective study using data from 100 newborns. The infants were assessed within the first 48 hours after birth using the Neonatal Tongue Screening Test, and subsequently assessed at 30 days of life using the Lingual Frenulum Protocol for Infants. The assessments were performed by examiner 1, who collected images and data to be analyzed by examiner 2. Newborns with lingual frenulum alterations were referred to frenotomy, reassessed 30 days after surgery and followed until six months of life. Data were used for the validation process, which included the analyses of inter-intra rater agreement, criterion validity, construct validity, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Data were statistically treated. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee under the number CAAE 40784315.9.0000.5538. Results: the "Neonatal Screening Test" was able to identify newborns with lingual frenulum alteration and the changes after frenotomy; furthermore, the results demonstrated adequate values of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Concerning inter-intra rater agreement, the consistency of results demonstrated reliability and excellent repeatability. Conclusion

The aim of this 2-arm parallel trial was to compare the dentoskeletal effects of the expander with differential opening (EDO) and the Hyrax expander in the mixed dentition. Methods: Patients aged 7-11 years with maxillary dental arch constriction and Class I or Class II sagittal relationships were randomly allocated into 2 study groups. The experimental group comprised 22 patients (10 males, 12 females) with a mean age of 8.46 years treated with the EDO. The comparison group was composed of 24 patients (6 males, 18 females), mean age of 8.92 years treated with the conventional Hyrax expander. One complete turn per day for 6 days was performed for the posterior screw of the EDO and for the Hyrax expander. The anterior screw of the EDO was activated 1 complete turn per day for 10 days. The primary outcomes were the anterior opening of the midpalatal suture, changes on the interincisal diastema width, maxillary dental arch widths, arch perimeter, arch length, palatal depth, inclination of maxillary posterior teeth and on dental arch shape, and the amount of differential expansion in the anterior region compared with the posterior region of the maxillary dental arch. Computer-generated randomization was used. Allocation was concealed with sequentially, numbered, sealed, and opaque envelopes. Blinding was applicable for outcome assessment only. Occlusal radiographs of the maxilla were obtained at the end of the active expansion phase (T2). Intraoral photographs were obtained immediately pre-expansion (T1) and at T2. Digital dental models were obtained at T1 and 6 months after the active expansion period (T3). Intergroup comparisons of T1-T2 changes were performed using multiple linear regression analysis (P \ 0.05). The independent variables were both treatment and the starting forms. Bonferroni correction for multiple tests was applied. Results: The experimental group showed a significantly greater opening of the anterior region of the midpalatal suture, a greater increase of the interincisal diastema width, and greater increases of the intercanine distance and inter-first deciduous molar distance than the Hyrax expander. The experimental group showed a significant differential expansion between the anterior and posterior regions, whereas the Hyrax group produced a similar expansion in the canine and molar regions. Serious harm was not observed. Conclusions: The EDO was capable of promoting greater orthopedic and dental changes in the anterior region of the maxilla than the conventional Hyrax expander. Similarity between the 2 expanders was observed for changes in the posterior region width, arch perimeter, arch length, palatal depth, and posterior teeth inclination.

Epidemiology is the study of health and disease in populations, and of how these conditions are influenced by heredity, biology, physical environment, social environment, and personal behavior. There are many epidemiological studies in Brazilian population but few about the influence of some risk factors in periodontal conditions. This cross-sectional study was performed to assess the influence of age, sex, plaque and smoking on periodontal disease in a population from Bauru (Brazil). Data concerning periodontal status were collected from 380 patients in the University of São Paulo (USP). Measurements of periodontal pocket depths (PPD), clinical attachment levels (CAL), plaque index (PI) of four sites in all teeth were registered. The influence of age, sex and smoking habits on the periodontal parameters were statistically evaluated using descriptive statistical and ANOVA. The correlation between plaque and periodontal parameters was analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results showed an increase in the mean of periodontal destruction (PPD and CAL) and a higher number of sites with severe losses with increasing age. Correlation among percentage of sites with plaque and periodontal parameters (PPD and CAL) were positive but weakly related. The male group showed significantly higher means of CAL than the female. Smokers had significantly higher PPD and CAL means than non-smokers. Aging, smoking habit, male sex, and percentage of sites with plaque were associated with a great increase of periodontal destruction, being important factors in the diagnosis of the periodontal disease in this Brazilian population.

Considering the current context of increasing and early utilization of licit or illicit drugs (habit-forming substances), the aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health conditions of 102 males from the Esquadrão da Vida rehabilitation center, in Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil. The evaluation was carried out by means of the assessment of caries experience (DMFT), dental plaque (PHP), gingival index and salivary flow. This study also aimed at instituting an educational-preventive program and evaluating its efficacy. The subjects' mean age was 29.17 years (sd = 11.40; n = 95). From all subjects (n = 102), 72.54% had the habit of eating between meals, and 69.60% did not utilize dental floss. The observed DMFT was 14.88 (sd = 6.38; n = 86). The initial PHP was 2.34 (sd = 0.69; n = 14) and, after 3 months, it was reduced to 1.91 (sd = 0.74; n = 14). The initial salivary flow was 1.31 ml/min (sd = 0.7; n = 97). Due to the fluctuation of this group, only 13 of the original subjects were reevaluated after 3 months, when a salivary flow of 1.13 ml/min (sd = 0.49) was registered. The initial gingival index and PHP presented r = 0.30 (p = 0.002 - statistically significant). The objective need for treatment and the subjective importance given to oral health were negatively correlated (r = -0.26; p = 0.019 - statistically significant), which indicates that the value attributed to oral health influences health care and affects the oral health-sickness process.

Aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of direct resin composite restorations (Tetric Ceram-TC) and indirect composite inlays (Targis-TG) after 12 months. Methods and Materials:Seventy-six Class I and II restorations (44 direct and 32 indirect) were inserted in premolars and molars with carious lesions or deficient restorations in 30 healthy patients according to the manufacturer's instructions. Each restoration was evaluated at baseline and after 12 months according to the modified USPHS criteria for color match (CM), marginal discoloration (MD), secondary caries (SC), anatomic form (AF), surface texture (ST), marginal integrity (MI), and pulp sensitivity (PS). Data were analyzed by Fisher and McNemar Chisquare tests. Results:No secondary caries and no pulpal sensitivity were observed after 12 months. However, significant changes in marginal discoloration (MD) criteria could be detected between baseline and one-year results for both materials (p<0.05). For marginal integrity (MI) criteria, the differences between baseline and oneyear recall were statistically significant (p<0.05). For marginal integrity (MI) criteria, Tetric Ceram (TC) showed results statistically superior to Targis (TG) in both observation periods (p<0.05). No statistically significant changes in color match (CM), anatomic form (AF), or surface texture (ST) appeared during the observation periods (p>0.05). Conclusions:Direct resin composite restorations performed better than indirect composite inlays for marginal integrity, but all restorations were judged to be clinically acceptable.Clinical Significance: Tetric Ceram direct restorations and Targis indirect inlays in posterior teeth provide satisfactory clinical performance and the comparison between them showed little difference after one year.