Revista Facultad de Odontología Universidad de Antioquia

Effect of an educational strategy aimed at teachers on the management of dentoalveolar trauma in public schools in Villavicencio, Colombia

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Introduction: Dental trauma is one of the main causes of care in pediatric dentistry, since it has a high rate of occurrence in the educational environment. For this reason, it is important to improve the knowledge and attitudes of teachers on this topic since, depending on the actions implemented, they can determine the good prognosis and professional treatment. For this reason, the objective of this research work was to evaluate the effect of an educational strategy that sought to improve knowledge and attitudes about the management of dentoalveolar trauma (DAT) in school teachers from Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia. Methods: An experimental study was carried out, where 235 teachers from 8 public schools were intervened with an educational strategy and were randomly assigned to a control group, and an experimental group. The two groups received an educational talk and a brochure, but the experimental group received audiovisual reinforcement. To determine the effect of the strategy, knowledge and attitudes about DAT management were measured before, and after the intervention, through a validated questionnaire. Results: Before the intervention, there were no significant differences between the control and experimental groups, indicating similar initial levels. After the implementation of the strategy, both groups demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes (p < 0.05), without finding significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05), which suggests that the educational strategy with and without Audiovisual reinforcement was equally effective in both groups. Conclusion: The educational strategy, with or without audiovisual reinforcement, was effective in improving knowledge and attitudes about the management of dentoalveolar trauma in teachers of public schools in Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia.

Correlation between occlusal vertical dimension and finger length in an adult Tumbesian population

Diana Katherin González-Orellana, Alfredo Carlos Manuel Rendón-Alvarado — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Introduction: In oral rehabilitation, multiple methods have been described to obtain the Vertical Occlusal Dimension (VOD), some based on aesthetics, others using functional, cephalometric, anthropometric, and facial craniometric approaches; but despite this multiplicity of methods, none seems more accurate or more reliable than another. The objective of the study was to determine if there is a correlation between the occlusal vertical dimension and the length of the fingers of the hand in an adult population of Tumbes in 2023. Methods: The design was cross-sectional correlational; 198 subjects participated, between 18 and 30 years of age. The VOD and the length of the fingers were measured using a digital vernier, and then the measurements were correlated with the statistical test of Pearson's R. Results: It was found that there is a correlation between the DVO and the length of the fingers, with the highest correlation being found with the second finger of the right hand (index) r = 0.652. The mean of the VOD was 71.85 mm, and the phalanx closest to the VOD was that of the left ring finger with 71.27 mm; in addition, there are significant differences in the VOD according to sex; the estimated regression formulas for males were VOD = 43.633 + 0.419 * LongD2D (right index), also VOD = 47.605 + 0.327 * LongD1D (right thumb); and in women, VOD = 34.404 + 0.545 * LongD2D (right index), also VOD = 37.296 + 0.584 * LongD5D (right pinky). Conclusion: There is a high positive correlation between VOD and the length of the fingers, with the right index finger and thumb having the highest correlation in men and the index and little fingers in women.

Knowledge, beliefs and limitations on the use of orthodontic in Paraguay

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Introduction: Malocclusion is a significant oral health issue, with prevalence rates among children and adolescents ranging from 39% to 93%. The objective of this study was to describe the knowledge, beliefs, and limitations regarding the use of orthodontic appliances in a group of Paraguayans in 2022. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional observational study. The questionnaire consisted of 18 questions covering knowledge about malocclusion and related oral diseases, beliefs regarding orthodontic treatment, and barriers to seeking such care. The sample was non-probabilistic and selected for convenience. Results: A total of 193 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 33 ± 12 years, of whom 75.13 % were women. Among them, 65.28 % were aware of the importance of proper occlusion, and 28.50 % knew that the premature loss of primary teeth could lead to malocclusion. A total of 87.56 % demonstrated sufficient knowledge (≥6 correct answers) about malocclusion. Among all respondents, 17.10 % did not complete their orthodontic treatment. The most reported barrier to accessing orthodontic care among these individuals was the difficulty in financing the treatment (81.15 %). However, 53.28 % believed they needed orthodontic treatment. Conclusion: Most respondents had sufficient knowledge about malocclusion. Half of them believed they needed orthodontic treatment. The primary reported barrier to seeking care was financial constraints.

Characterization of unscheduled dental visits in the Venezuelan population consulting at a teaching-service institution in the city of Medellin, Colombia

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Introduction: This study aimed to characterize unscheduled dental care in the Venezuelan migrant population at the Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Antioquia, during the period 2017-2022. Methods: This is a descriptive and ambispective study, using both secondary sources (medical records) and primary sources (online surveys). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were analyzed based on data availability, and statistical significance tests such as Chi-square tests were conducted. The study has institutional ethical approval. Results: A total of 335 unscheduled dental care visits were reported in the study population, corresponding to 288 patients. 73 % of the treated population were in the age range of 19 to 44 years, and 62 % were women. The most common reasons for consultation in the study population were related to specific and nonspecific tooth pain, as well as dental fractures and restorations. 44 % of the visits had a diagnosis related to pulp pathologies, slightly higher in women. Most of the treated population came from the northeastern area of the city of Medellín. Conclusions: More unscheduled medical visits were recorded among young adults, primarily those working in the service sector, and coming from more vulnerable areas. The main reasons for consultation were related to pain and pulpal diseases. These findings highlight the social and health vulnerability of this group, emphasizing the need to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and develop public health strategies based on social determinants.

Dental professional training and practice: tensions around the Hegemonic Dental Medical Model

María Del Carmen Cortés-Quiroz, Edgar Carlos Jarillo-Soto — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This essay raises a reflection on the education, training and professional dental practice of oral health personnel, elements that articulated give rise to the construction of a Hegemonic Dental Medical Care Model, characterized by the production of a body of knowledge that supports its object of study in dimensions that validate and promote approaches for its understanding, and with them a positioning regarding the individual and collective health-disease-care-oral care process. From which oral health professionals establish technical interventions to face oral conditions, where alternative practices that emerged in the culture and present in the social environment of the subjects to maintain their oral health are frequently unknown or displaced. The final reflections point towards the role of universities, spaces where professional dental practice is scientifically validated and promoted through an established object of study, from which a hegemonic model of dental care is oriented, built, and strengthened, despite the strong, questioning that has occurred in recent years even by professionals in the field themselves exposing the tensions around the training and practice of the profession.

From the conception of "Patient Safety" to the concept of "Safety in dental practice"

Diego Alonso Gil-Alzate — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500