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The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the factors associated with the impact of oral health on the quality of life in a sample of 504 Brazilian independent elderly. Data collection included oral examinations and structured interviews. The simplified form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to measure OHRQoL. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, use of dental services, and subjective measures of health was collected. Poisson regression within a hierarchical model was used to data analyses. The following variables were associated with a negative impact on OHRQoL: female gender (PR = 1.40; CI 95%: 1.11–1.77); lower class (PR = 1.58; CI 95%: 1.13–2.20); up to 3 occluding pairs of posterior teeth (PR = 1.88; CI 95%: 1.13–3.14); at least one untreated caries (PR = 1.28; CI 95%: 1.06–1.54); curative reasons for the last dental appointment (PR = 1.52; CI 95%: 1.15–2.00); poor self-perception of oral health (PR = 2.49; CI 95%: 1.92–3.24); and poor perception of dental care provided (PR = 1.34; CI 95%: 1.12–1.59). The younger elderly also noticed this negative impact. These findings showed that the clinical, sociodemographic, and subjective factors evaluated exerted a negative impact on OHRQoL in elderly people. Health authorities must address all these factors when planning interventions on oral health for this population.

Sedentary behavior was an independent predictor of mortality in subjects with COPD, even adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and a number of other variables. Mortality was higher in subjects with COPD who spend ≥8.5 h/d in activities requiring <1.5 MET. These findings may open room for future studies aiming at decreasing sedentary time as a promising strategy to reduce mortality risk in subjects with COPD.

The purpose of this study was to assess the current knowledge and recommendations of obstetricians and dentists as to the dental care to pregnant patients in the cities of Londrina/PR and Bauru/SP, Brazil. Questionnaires were distributed to professionals of both cities, arguing on the following issues: oral health during pregnancy; contact between prenatal care and dental care providers; prenatal fluoride supplementation; selection of therapeutic agents for local anesthesia, pain control and treatment of infection; and dental procedures that can be performed during each trimester. Data were analyzed by frequency of responses and statistical analyses were carried out using X2 (type of workplace/service) and t test (time since graduation), significant if p<0.05. Seventy-nine obstetricians and 37 dentists responded the questionnaires. Most physicians referred the patient to dental care only when a source of dental problem was mentioned, limiting the adoption of a preventive approach. Forty-three percent of dentists and 34% of obstetricians did not know the potential contribution of periodontal infection as a risk factor for preterm low birth-weight babies. There was divergence from scientific literature as to the recommendation of local anesthetics (dentists and obstetricians), prenatal fluoride supplementation (obstetricians) and dental radiographs (dentists). The findings of this survey with dentists and obstetricians showed that dental management during pregnancy still presents some deviations from scientific literature recommendations, indicating the need to update these health care professionals in order to establish guidelines for prenatal dental care.

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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel (DDEs) in relation to asthma severity, symptom onset and pharmacological treatment in pediatric asthma patients. Methods: Children and adolescents (68 asthma patients and 68 controls), 5-15 years of age and residents of the city of Londrina, Brazil, were enrolled in the study. Medical and dental histories were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire. Each participant underwent a dental examination in which the examiner employed the DDE index. Results: Of the 68 asthma group subjects, 61 (89.7%) presented dental enamel defects, compared with only 26 (38.2%) of those in the control group. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, we estimated the risk of DDEs in permanent dentition to be 11 times higher in pediatric subjects with asthma than in those without (OR = 11.88, p = 0.0001). The occurrence of dental enamel defects correlated with greater asthma severity (p = 0.0001) and earlier symptom onset (p = 0.0001). However, dental enamel defects did not correlate with the initiation of treatment (p = 0.08) or the frequency of medication use (p = 0.93). Conclusions: Pediatric patients with severe, early-onset asthma are at increased risk of dental enamel defects and therefore require priority dental care.Keywords: Asthma/prevention & control; Bronchodilator agents; Adrenal cortex hormones/therapeutic use; Dental enamel; Amelogenesis. ResumoObjetivo: Avaliou-se a prevalência de developmental defects of enamel (DDEs, defeitos de desenvolvimento do esmalte dentário) em pacientes pediátricos com asma e sua relação com a severidade da asma, o início dos sintomas e o tratamento medicamentoso. Métodos: Os participantes do estudo eram residentes do município de Londrina (PR), com 5 a 15 anos, sendo 68 asmáticos e 68 controles. Foram levantados dados retrospectivos da história médica e de saúde bucal da população do estudo através de um questionário estruturado. Todos os participantes foram submetidos a um exame dental. Para a avaliação dos defeitos de desenvolvimento do esmalte dentário, utilizou-se o Índice DDE. Resultados: Neste estudo, foi observado que 61 (89,7%) dos 68 pacientes asmáticos apresentavam defeitos de desenvolvimento do esmalte dentário quando comparado à ocorrência em 26 (38,2%) dos no grupo controle. Através da análise multivariada por regressão logística, foi observado que um paciente pediátrico com asma apresenta risco aumentado em 11 vezes para o aparecimento de defeitos de desenvolvimento do esmalte em dentes permanentes (OR = 11,88, p = 0,0001). Além disso, foi observado uma associação entre defeitos do esmalte dentário e maior severidade da asma (p = 0,0001) e início dos sintomas mais precoce (p = 0,0001). Não se observou associação entre o início do tratamento (p = 0,08) ou frequência de uso da medicação (p = 0,93) com o aparecimento de defeitos de desenvolvimento do esmalte dentário. Conclusões: Pacientes pediátricos com asma apresentam risco aumentado para a ocorrência de defei...

There is a paucity of studies with this approach; however, the results showed the importance of researches in this area, which turns the subject into an important field of research.

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