Masticatory Function and Nutritional Status in Brazilian Institutionalized Elders: Influence of Denture Use

Objective: To evaluate the influence of tooth loss and the use of removable dentures on chewing function and nutritional status of institutionalized elders. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study with 155 elders from seven long-stay institutions in João Pessoa, Brazil. The participants were classified according to the presence of reminiscent teeth and use of dentures in four levels: toothless, without denture (1); toothless with a complete denture (2); partial toothless without denture (3) and partial toothless with a partial denture (4). Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) instrument and the Body Mass Index (BMI). Swallowing threshold was used for the assessment of masticatory function, using a portion of roasted peanuts (3.7 g). Comparisons among groups were performed using Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni adjustment, considering p<0.05. Results: MNA (p=0.702) and BMI (p=0.884) were not modified in relation to the presence of teeth and denture use. Toothless individuals without dentures had a lower swallowing threshold (p<0.001), whilst partial toothless with dentures had better masticatory function (p>0.05). Conclusion: The presence of reminiscent teeth and the use of dentures do not influence the nutritional status of the elders but interfere with the masticatory function. Prosthetic rehabilitation is desirable for complete toothless individuals

Needlestick and sharp instruments injuries among Brazilian dentistry students

Background: The occurrence of occupational accidents is common among students and dentists. The present study is aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of needlestick and sharp instrument injuries among dentistry students. Materials and Methods: A documentary research was carried out with data being obtained from the analysis of 137 medical records of injuries caused by needlestick and sharp instruments occurring in the period from 2012 to 2016 and were analyzed regarding the characteristics of the victim (gender and age) and the accident (year, time, environment, and time interval between exposure and search for care). Data were organized in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 18 and were presented through descriptive statistics. Results: The occurrence of accidents was high (43.1%), with the predominance of female victims (66.1%) and aged up to 23 years (55.9%). The majority of events occurred in the afternoon (54.4%), in the clinical setting (70.7%), and in 75% of the cases, the search for care occurred within 2 h after exposure. Conclusion: Accidents with needlestick and sharp instruments have high frequency and involve mainly female students. They are more common in the afternoon and in the clinical setting and the time interval was between exposure and the search for care complied with recommendations of the Brazilian legislation

Oral health-related quality of life of older adults living in long-term care facilities and its association with dental prosthesis use and condition

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association of oral health-related quality of life with prosthetic rehabilitation status and dental prosthesis condition in residents of Brazilian long-term care facilities. METHODS: The oral health-related quality of life of older adults (n = 194; mean [standard deviation] age = 78.93 [9.10]) was assessed by the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index and the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaires. Prosthetic rehabilitation status was recorded according to the absence of teeth and use of dental prostheses. Dental prosthesis condition was considered good or poor based on stability, retention, occlusion, vertical dimension, and defects. Poisson regression models were plotted to analyze the data (\u3b1 = 0.05). RESULTS: Lower Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index scores were associated with edentulism with denture use only on one jaw (B = -0.05) and poor dental prosthesis stability (B = -0.04). Similarly, edentulous participants with denture only on one jaw (B = 0.59) and those wearing dental prostheses with poor stability (B = 0.36) are more likely to achieve higher Oral Health Impact Profile scores. Also, lower Oral Health Impact Profile scores were associated with denture defects (B = -0.34). CONCLUSION: In summary, the oral health-related quality of life of older adults living in long-term care facilities is negatively impacted by edentulism with denture only on one jaw and use of dental prostheses with poor stability. Therefore, long-term care facilities should provide oral health training to caregivers, include dental professionals in the staff, and articulate demands with oral health teams in the primary care system.</p