Aspectos psicossociais e percepção de impacto da saúde bucal na qualidade de vida em adultos do Sul do Brasil

Evaluation of the effect of dental caries, oral hygiene, and treatment need on oral health-related quality of life among Turkish orphan children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

The oral and dental health and related quality of life of orphan children and adolescents-who are considered a vulnerable population-are critical for both individual and public health.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the status of the dental caries, oral hygiene, and dental treatment needs among a group of Turkish male orphan children and adolescents, as well as their impact on oral health-related quality of life.

METHODS

A total of 112 orphan children and adolescents aged between 9 and 17 years living in a residential care facility in Istanbul, Türkiye, were involved in this cross-sectional study. A comprehensive examination was conducted on each individual, encompassing the assessment of dental caries using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT/dft) index, oral hygiene using the debris (DI-S), calculus (CI-S), and simplified oral hygiene (OHI-S) indices, and dental treatment need using the treatment need index (TNI). Oral health-related quality of life was evaluated using the validated Turkish version of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile-Short Form (COHIP-SF-19). The relationship between oral health-related quality of life and explanatory variables was evaluated using a multivariable linear regression model.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 12 ± 1.79 years. The mean DMFT score was 4.57 ± 3.42, and the mean OHI-S score was 1.4 ± 0.52. Participants had a mean COHIP-SF-19 score of 57.79 ± 14.11, with 25% requiring at least one tooth to undergo radical treatment. Multivariable linear regression analysis indicated that the DMFT score (p = 0.009) and the need for radical treatment (TNI code 6) (p < 0.001) had a statistically significant impact on oral health-related quality of life among orphan children and adolescents aged 13-17.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores that dental caries and the need for radical treatment significantly impact the oral health-related quality of life of orphan children and adolescents.

Structural validity of the Brazilian version of the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13) in oral health research: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis

Background

The Sense of Coherence (SOC) construct has been used worldwide in oral health research, but rigorous factor analyses of the scale are scarce. We aim to test the dimensional structure of the Brazilian short version of the SOC scale with 13 items.

Methods

This study is a secondary analysis of four independent cross-sectional Brazilian studies on oral health, using the 13-items SOC scale. Sample 1 was conducted on 1760 mothers and 1771 adolescents. Sample 2 comprised 1100 adults. Sample 3 had 720 adults and older individuals. Sample 4 comprised 664 adolescent students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted on sample 1 to compare two models: 3-factor versus 1-factor. Because they were refuted, Exploratory Factor Analysis was implemented in samples 2 and 3. Modified models were tested in sample 4 using CFA. All analyses were conducted with MPlus version 7.11.

Results

CFA of sample 1 resulted in an unacceptable fit (RMSEA = 0.12;CFI = 0.78; TLI = 0.73; and WRMR = 3.28) for 1-factor model and 3-factor (RMSEA = 0.10; CFI = 0.87; TLI = 0.84; and WRMR = 2.50). The EFA on samples 2 and 3 showed, respectively, two eigenvalues greater than 1 (4.11 and 1.56) and (4.32 and 1.42), but the scale items soc1, soc2 and soc3 formed an uninterpretable second factor. Another CFA, using sample 4, showed acceptable model fit after removing those three items and also soc11 (RMSEA = 0.05; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.99; and WRMR = 0.71).

Conclusion

The results indicate that the SOC-13 scale needs further adjustments. The one-factor model with nine items showed a good statistical fit, but the implications of excluding items should be further investigated, considering the scale's content validity, cross-cultural adaptation and theoretical background.

Emergency Room Visits with a Non-Traumatic Dental-Related Diagnosis in Hawaii, 2016-2020

The purpose of this study was to characterize the frequencies and patterns of emergency room (ER) visits with a non-traumatic dental-related diagnosis among adults (≥21 years old) in Hawaii, United States. This descriptive cross-sectional study used state-level inpatient and outpatient data recorded in Hawaii from 2016 to 2020. We identified dental-related ER visits using the diagnosis codes for non-traumatic dental-related conditions and summarized the frequency, rates, and cumulative total charges of the ER visits. The results show that approximately 30 thousand ER visits between 2016 and 2020 had a dental-related diagnosis. Sixty-seven percent of them had it as a principal diagnosis, amounting to USD 38.7 million total charges over the five years. A high proportion of these visits was found among those aged 21−44 years old (62%), Medicaid beneficiaries (49%), and Native Hawaiians/Part Native Hawaiians (26%). Compared to the proportions of ER visits with a secondary diagnosis, these groups had a higher proportion of ER visits with a principal diagnosis (ps < 0.001). A higher visit rate was found for those aged 21−44 years old and from less-populated counties. These results suggest that oral health disparities in age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity exist in Hawaii. Our findings could provide insight in developing a framework to reduce oral health disparities, particularly among Medicaid beneficiaries and Native Hawaiians. Dental coverage with effective education in multiple dimensions is necessary to reduce non-traumatic dental-related ER visits.

Inter-examiner agreement in the application of an oral health assessment instrument in hospitalized elderly

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the correspondence between nurse and dental surgeon assessments in the application of an Oral Health Assessment in dental screening of elderly hospitalized patients.

METHODS

cross-sectional study with elderly patients (n = 54) admitted to University Hospital from the Federal University of São Paulo. Data were collected through the assessment of oral cavity. Descriptive statistical techniques were used to analyze them, using tables and graphs.

RESULTS

there was correlation and agreement between nurse and dental surgeon assessments referring to application of an Oral Health Assessment in dental screening of hospitalized elderly.

CONCLUSIONS

oral Health Assessment in dental screening for hospitalized elderly by nurses demonstrated excellent reproducibility and may be a resource to identify buccal alteration, helping the planning and execution of nurse care associated to oral health.