Private school quality in Italy

Private school enrolment may lead to worse subsequent performance in further education or in the labour market. If students differ in their ability not only to pay but to take advantage of educational opportunities (“talent” for short), private schools attract a worse pool of students when publicly funded schools are better suited to foster progress by more talented students. In the data we analyze, the impact of observable talent proxies on educational and labour market outcomes is indeed more positive for students who (endogenously) choose to attend public schools than for those who choose to pay for private education

Special Issue on Dental Materials: Latest Advances and Prospects

Most fields of dentistry are closely related to newly developed materials, and all clinical improvements often follow or, in any case, go hand in hand with the creation and development of innovative and higher-performing materials, instruments, and equipment [...

Surgical masks vs respirators: properties and indications for use

OBIETTIVI. Sono numerose le procedure odontoiatriche in grado di creare un aerosol capace di trasportare batteri, virus e particelle inquinate nell’ambiente circostante. L’utilizzo di una turbina o di uno strumento ultrasonico va a creare una sospensione di particelle di vario diametro che presenta un serio rischio infettivo per le cavità nasali e tracheo-bronchiali. Questa deposizione di particelle avviene su differenti livelli a seconda delle loro dimensioni, dove le più grosse vengono fermate nelle cavità nasali, mentre le più piccole finiscono negli alveoli polmonari. Queste particelle aerosoliche hanno un proprio movimento, anche di alcuni metri, in parte causato dallo spostamento di masse d’aria e dai moti browniani prodotti dall’urto delle particelle gassose contro quelle aerosoliche. Poiché questa nube aerosolica persiste e si alimenta continuativamente in ambienti dove pazienti e procedure si susseguono e si sovrappongono nell’arco di una giornata, è fondamentale da parte degli operatori l’utilizzo di dispositivi di protezione individuale, fra i quali appare preminente la scelta di una mascherina appropriata. L’obiettivo di questo lavoro è di chiarire la terminologia,i criteri di costruzione di una mascherina, di illustrare le differenze tra mascherine e respiratori orali e di fornire un supporto pratico per la protezione propria e dei pazienti, scegliendo il dispositivo adatto a ogni situazione clinica. MATERIALI E METODI. In questo lavoro è stata condotta una revisione della letteratura nazionale e internazionale sull’argomento, sono stati raccolti i dati scientifici pubblicati dall’introduzione delle mascherine fino a oggi e vengono descritte le caratteristiche, le differenze e le indicazioni cliniche all’uso di mascherine e respiratori orali nel contesto odontoiatrico. CONCLUSIONI. La mascherina chirurgica e il respiratore sono presidi individuali che soddisfano standard specifici e il cui utilizzo va sempre abbinato ad altri DPI quali schermi e occhiali protettivi, copricapo, guanti, camici monouso e naturalmente a un’attenta igiene personale. Va sempre sottolineata l’importanza di esaminare la scheda tecnica riferita ai dispositivi utilizzati, al fine di controllare la necessaria stretta aderenza ai protocolli di riferimento. Ad oggi vi sono ancora pareri discordanti su quale possa essere l’indicazione corretta sulla tipologia di respiratore da utilizzare per prevenire il contagio da Sars-CoV-2. I respiratori senza filtro-valvola sembrano i dispositivi in grado di fornire la protezione più alta a operatore e paziente, ma proprio per la loro alta capaci-tà di filtraggio rendono difficile la respirazione se portati per lungo tempo continuativamente. Per migliorare la capacità respiratoria e quindi per ricercare un maggior comfort è ipotizzabile l’utilizzo di un respiratore ad alto filtraggio con valvola di esalazione, in associazione a una mascherina chirurgica da applicarvi sopra. Le mascherine chirurgiche rimangono comunque dei validi presidi per tutte quelle prestazioni che non comportano creazione di aerosol altamente infetti e conseguente dispersione di particelle potenzialmente contaminate nell’aria. Infine, per limitare il più possibile la diffusione del Covid-19, chiunque dovrebbe indossare una mascherina chirurgica, in modo tale che un soggetto infetto non possa contaminare l’ambiente circostante e le persone vicine. SIGNIFICATO CLINICO. Questo contributo mette in evidenza le caratteristiche di mascherine chirurgiche e respiratori orali, fornendo indicazioni pratiche sui dispositivi più idonei alla protezione da infezione da Covid-19.OBJECTIVES. Many dental procedures are responsible for the creation of an aerosol capable of transporting bacteria, virus and infected particles into the surrounding environment. The use of handpieces and/or ultrasonic devices creates an aerosol of particles with different diameters that present a severe risk for nasal and tracheobronchial cavities. This deposition of particles occurs on different levels, depending on their dimensions: particles with larger diameter stops in the nasal cavities, while the smaller ones end up in lung alveoli. These aerosol particles have their own movement, partly caused by the displacement of air masses and by the Brownian motions produced by the impact of the gaseous particles against the aerosol ones. Since these droplets are able to persist continuously for long time in environments where patients and procedures follow and overlap over the course of a day, it is essential for dental clinicians to adopt personal protective equipment, among which the choice of an appropriate mask. The aim of this literature overview is to clarify the terminology, the criteria for the construction of a mask, to illustrate the differences between masks and oral respirators. and to provide practical support for personal and patient protection, choosing the device suitable for each clinical situation. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This work is a literature review of the national and international literature on this topic: the scientific data published since mask introduction to date have been collected, and the characteristics, differences and clinical indications for the use of masks and oral respirators in dentistry have been analyzed. CONCLUSIONS. The surgical mask and the respirator are individual devices that meet specific standards and whose use must always be combined with other PPE such as screens and protective glasses, headgear, gloves, disposable gowns and of course a careful personal hygiene. The importance of examining the technical data sheet referring to the devices used, in order to check the necessary strict adherence to the reference protocols, must always be underlined. To date there are still conflicting opinions on what the correct indication may be on the type of respirator to be used to prevent contagion from Sars-CoV-2. Respirators without a filter-valve seem to be the devices capable of providing the highest protection to the operator and patient but, precisely because of their high filtering capacity, they make breathing difficult if worn for a long time continuously. To improve respiratory capacity and therefore to seek greater comfort, the use of a high filter respirator with exhalation valve, in association with a surgical mask to be applied on it, is conceivable. However, surgical masks remain valid devices for all those services that do not involve the creation of highly infected aerosols and the consequent dispersion of potentially contaminated particles in the air. Finally, to limit the spread of Covid-19 as much as possible, anyone should wear a surgical mask, so that an infected person cannot contaminate the surrounding environment and people nearby. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE. This work highlights the characteristics of surgical masks and oral respirators, providing practical indications on the most suitable devices for protection from Covid-19 infection

COVID-19 dentistry-related aspects: a literature overview

A new coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) was detected in China at the end of 2019 and has since caused a worldwide pandemic. This virus is responsible for an acute respiratory syndrome (COVID-19), distinguished by a potentially lethal interstitial bilateral pneumonia. Because Sars-CoV-2 is highly infective through airborne contamination, the high infection risk in the dental environment is a serious problem for both professional practitioners and patients. This literature overview provides a description of the clinical aspects of COVID-19 and its transmission, while supplying valuable information regarding protection and prevention measures

Sessanta anni di istruzione in Italia

In this article we analyze the fulfilment of the 1948 Italian Republican Constitution regarding education. We verify that inequality in the highest degree of attained education has declined within cohorts and geographical areas. We also find a reduction of the impact of the parental background on educational choice over time. However, there still is a relevant difference in the probability of attaining a university degree depending on the parental education. Among the possible reasons, we investigate the differential return of a university degree between individuals with different familiar background, the difference in opportunity costs and the drop-out rates.

Traumatic Dental Injuries: Clinical Case Presentation and a 10-Year Epidemiological Investigation in an Italian Dental Emergency Service

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are very common in the world population, and international literature reports several studies which helped in the definition of international guidelines. The aim of this study is to present two clinical cases of TDI and to investigate epidemiological and etiological aspects of TDIs in patients treated in Modena, Italy, between January 2010 and December 2020. The presented case reports are two explicative clinical cases of successful TDI management with a long-Term follow-up. The epidemiological analysis was performed on patients who visited the Dental Emergency Service of the Dentistry and Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery Unit of Modena (Italy) over a period of 10 years. Data relating to age, gender, type of trauma, and place of accident were collected. Five-hundred-sixty-five TDIs that occurred to patients from 1 to 68 years old were reported, with a total of 860 injured teeth. The peak age at which TDIs are most represented varies between 2 and 3 years old, and they occurred frequently from 1 up to 7 years old. 57.5% were male, while 42.5% were female. The most common trauma resulted to be the uncomplicated crown fracture (20%), immediately followed by lateral luxation (19%), intrusive luxation (18%), avulsion (17%), and complicated crown fracture (15%). TDIs occurred at home in 44% of cases. The need for more prevention training must be highlighted, due to the fact that many TDIs occur at home and in a preschool age

Recognition and treatment of peri-implant mucositis: Do we have the right perception? A structured review

Peri-implant mucositis is a common inflammatory lesion of the soft tissues surrounding endosseous implants, with no loss of the supporting bone. Its prevention or early diagnosis are vital for dental implant success.The aim of this review was to investigate knowledge strengths and gaps in clinicians' perceptions of periimplant mucositis prevalence and evidence for successful treatment.A literature search for articles published until 2020, reporting on the prevalence of peri-implant mucositis and its treatment was performed in standard online databases. The inclusion criteria were as follows: studies in English; studies with an available abstract; studies on humans with at least 1 dental implant; and studies reporting on the prevalence and/or treatment of peri-implant mucositis. Sixty-five studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The included papers were analyzed to identify data on the prevalence and treatment of peri-implant mucositis. The prevalence statistics for peri-implant mucositis had wide ranges in both the patient-based (PB) analysis and the implant-based (IB) analysis; the possible reasons for these wide ranges are discussed. Treatment methods for peri-implant mucositis were analyzed individually and compared to the management of gingivitis.It was determined that the currently available information on the prevalence rates and the standardized therapeutic protocols for peri-implant mucositis are insufficient. Since the mean gingivitis and peri-implant mucositis prevalence rates in the PB analysis were similar, it is possible that peri-implant mucositis is underestimated due to variables related to implant rehabilitation itself

Esiste uguaglianza delle opportunit\ue0 in Italia ?

In questo lavoro si fornisce un metodo possibile per misurare la disuguaglianza delle opportunit\ue0 e scomporre la disuguaglianza complessiva dei redditi in una componente \uabinaccettabile\ubb e in una \uabaccettabile\ubb dal punto di vista etico. Viene anche proposta una applicazione di questo metodo alla analisi della disuguaglianza delle opportunit\ue0 in Italia, che risulta essere pari a circa un terzo di quella complessiva dei redditi in Italia, con le regioni del Sud caratterizzate da un pi\uf9 elevato livello di disuguaglianza delle opportunit\ue0 rispetto alle regioni del Nor