Brazilian Dentists Research Articles

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Perceptions of Brazilian Dentists About Oral Cancer.

Dentists play a pivotal role in the early detection of oral cancer. Consequently, they are expected to possess the knowledge and the capability to recognize the features of this disease. The objective of the study is to evaluate dentists from different regions of Brazil regarding their level of knowledge and self-confidence regarding oral cancer. An online self-administered questionnaire was completed by dentists across Brazil registered on the TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS platform. This questionnaire encompassed inquiries related to knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding oral cancer. A total of 1291 dentists from all regions of the country responded to the questionnaire. The majority of participants were females (75.5%), with an average age of 36.3years, predominantly from the public sector (46.8%). A reasonable level of knowledge regarding oral cancer was observed among dentists, although 48.6% of these professionals felt uncertain about diagnosis procedures. Dentists less than 8years since graduation perceived themselves as more prepared to perform oral cancer diagnoses than those with more experience. Around 55% of participants had never performed a biopsy. Based on the obtained results, it is concluded that continuous education activities focused on oral cancer and implementing practical training during undergraduate studies are imperative. These strategies can improve professionals' self-confidence and diagnostic accuracy, thereby facilitating early disease diagnosis and, consequently, a more favorable prognosis.

Comparison of factors associated with the evidence-practice gap as perceived by Japanese and Brazilian dentists

ObjectivesTo identify 1) factors of the evidence-practice gap (EPG) in Japan and Brazil as perceived by dentists and compare these factors between two countries, and 2) mechanisms to close this EPG. MethodsThe study employed a cross-sectional design by administering a web-based questionnaire to 136 Japanese and 110 Brazilian dentists. The survey queried dentists’ reports of which factors possibly cause an EPG, using a newly developed 20-item questionnaire. ResultsAn international comparison of 20 items related to factors of the EPG between Japan and Brazil revealed that "Dentists' own experiences are sometimes given priority over evidence" and "Dentists' own thoughts are sometimes given priority over evidence" were common factors to both countries, with over 80 % agreement. In logistic regression, "Insufficient opportunity to learn about evidence in dental education at universities", "Evidence-based treatments are sometimes not covered by the dental insurance system", and "Insufficient evidence which helps dentists choose an appropriate treatment for a patient after careful consideration of his/her own background" were significantly associated with the EPG in Japan (p < 0.05). In Brazil, "Insufficient case reports in which evidence-based dentistry (EBD) is applied to clinical practice" and "Image-based information and devices used for diagnosis vary depending on individual dentists" were significantly associated with the EPG (p < 0.05). ConclusionsThis study suggests that EPG could be improved in Japan: by promoting EBD education at universities, improving the dental insurance system, and accumulating evidence according to patient background; and in Brazil: by promoting EBD case reports and standardizing diagnostic information and devices. Clinical SignificanceTwo factors of EPG common to Japan and Brazil, namely the prioritization of dentists' own "experiences" and "thoughts" over evidence, are urgent issues for improving EPG. In addition, it will be necessary to address the country-specific factors of EPG that were identified in this study.

An assessment of Brazilian dentists' knowledge about tooth fragment reattachment: A cross-sectional study.

Crown fractures are common traumatic dental injuries and tooth fragment reattachment is a viable option for restoring a fractured tooth. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and experience of dentists in the Federal District regarding the tooth fragment reattachment technique for enamel and dentin fractures. For the cross-sectional observational study, an electronic form was designed with objective and self-report questions for dentists. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with their absolute and relative frequencies. For the analysis of categorical variables, the nonparametric chi-squared or Fisher exact association tests were used in the statistical software R (version 4.2.1). A total of 416 dentists participated in the study (58.9% female and 41.1% male). Of these, 70% declared they knew about fragment reattachment, but only 42.3% reported previous experience with this procedure. The most common storage medium used for the fractured fragment was milk (78.1%), and the bonding material used for reattachment was light-cured composite resin (86.3%). A majority (66.3%) reported that for a patient with enamel and dentin fracture, with the crown fragment in good condition, they would choose to do the reattachment. Dentists demonstrated that they had adequate knowledge about the tooth fragment technique, although many did not have previous experience with this procedure.

The Relationship between Professional Variables and Burnout Syndrome in Brazilian Dentists during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Burnout syndrome (BS) is a highly prevalent occupational disease among dentists who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, have been at greater risk of contracting the disease, generating stress and distancing. The aim of this study was to assess the association of social conditions, professional factors and perceptions of COVID-19 with Burnout Syndrome. This was a cross-sectional study of 302 Brazilian dentists working in the clinical and private sectors. The professionals completed the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory online and answered sociodemographic and professional questions and questions related to their perception of the pandemic. Poisson regression with unadjusted and adjusted robust variance was used to estimate the association between burnout syndrome (dependent variable) and the independent variables. The presence of BS was strongly associated with age, training in a private institution, professionals who claimed to have sufficient protective knowledge and fear of being contaminated by SARS-CoV-2 during patient care (p < 0.05). The findings of this study show that there has been an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of Burnout syndrome in dentists, especially, those who worked in the public sector and those who were afraid to work with other health professionals.

The Evidence-practice Gap in Minimal Intervention Dentistry: An International Comparison Between Dentists in Japan and Brazil.

This study was designed to: 1) evaluate and compare the evidence-practice gap (EPG) in minimal intervention dentistry (MID) in Japan and Brazil by measuring concordance between dentists' clinical practice and published evidence; and 2) identify dentists' factors associated with the EPG in both countries. We performed a cross-sectional study using a web-delivered questionnaire among 136 Japanese and 110 Brazilian dentists. The questionnaire consisted of three questions concerning "restoration diagnosis and treatment," "deep caries diagnosis and treatment," and "caries risk assessment" regarding MID. A chi-square test was used to analyze differences in concordance among clinical practice and evidence from the literature between Japanese and Brazilian dentists. Logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze dentists' factors associated with overall concordance for all three questions. Overall concordance was significantly higher in Brazil (55%) than in Japan (38%) (p<0.01). Concerning how evidence was obtained, textbooks, nonacademic journals, and seminars and workshops were used as information sources more frequently by Japanese than Brazilian dentists (p<0.001), whereas scientific journal articles in English were used more frequently by Brazilian dentists (p<0.001). On logistic regression analysis, overall concordance was higher for Japanese dentists who frequently obtained evidence from scientific journal articles in English (p<0.05), whereas Brazilian dentists who frequently obtained evidence from the Internet were associated with lower overall concordance (p<0.05). Because overall concordance was significantly higher in Brazil than in Japan, Japan may have a greater EPG in MID practice. Specific characteristics of Japanese and Brazilian dentists showed significant associations with overall concordance.

Estimating the burden of care for oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer in Brazilian dental practice.

Oral cancer (OC) and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) pose significant challenges to public health in Brazil. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of oral cancer (OC) and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) among patients who would be treated by Brazilian dentists during their careers. Data on the number of dentists in Brazil were extracted from the 2022 census data, while incidence rates for OC cases were sourced from the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA). Population estimates for Brazil and data on dental check-up rates were obtained from relevant national sources. Our analysis indicates that a general dentist in Brazil can expect to encounter on average two to three OC patients and on average 675 patients with OPMDs over a 35-year career. Regional disparities were observed, with certain regions showing higher than the average number of encounters due to low density of dentists in some rural districts. Brazilian dentists are likely to confront a substantial number of OC and OPMD cases during their professional tenure, emphasizing the need for public health policies aimed at enhancing dental surgeons' education in oral cancer prevention and early detection.

Knowledge of Brazilian dentists about bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw

Knowledge of Brazilian dentists about bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw

Knowledge of Brazilian Dentists about Dentoalveolar Trauma Care and their Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Knowledge of Brazilian Dentists about Dentoalveolar Trauma Care and their Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Phytotherapy: knowledge, experience and prescription in oral healthcare. A cross-sectional survey of dental practitioners.

This exploratory survey assessed Brazilian dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding phytotherapy. This study used a consecutive sample of registered dentists who were active in clinical practice and attending advanced training for complex oral rehabilitation at a leading dental school in Latin America. Participants responded to a semi-structured 38-item instrument designed to collect data on sociodemographic, professional and health variables, and on their knowledge, use, prescription and opinions of phytotherapy. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were described and analyzed with a thematic approach. A total 53 dentists responded the survey (88.3% response rate). Six dentists reported formal education in phytotherapy and 33 had informal knowledge. Twenty-one dentists (39.6%) reported using herbal medicine, and 17 (32.1%) prescribed phytotherapy to their patients, mostly traditional medicinal plants. A logistic regression model showed that post-graduate degree and personal use of phytotherapy were associated with phytotherapy prescription. Opinions on how to improve the rational use of phytotherapy included the need for research evidence, specific academic education, and knowledge dissemination to clinicians. As a clinical recommendation, it was proposed that questions on herbal medicine should be asked during the dental patient's anamnesis. Dentists with post-graduate degrees and personal use of phytotherapy prescribe herbal medicines for their patients in real-world clinics, regardless of formal education on the subject. Qualitative findings indicate the need to implement scientific initiatives.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the income of dentists in Brazil: a national questionnaire survey

This study aimed to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among Brazilian dentists. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with data from the survey with 40,271 dentists by the Federal Council of Dentistry of Brazil between June 25 and July 3, 2020. The research involved two sets of questions, addressing sociodemographic characteristics and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in dental practice. A total of 65.2% of dentists were women and 49.3% were between 30.1 and 50 years old. Thirty-nine percent graduated in the last 10 years; 58% worked in a private practice (own or shared); 64.3% did not work with dental plans; and 72.2% continued working during the pandemic, but with restrictions. They had income between R$3,001 and R$10,000 (equivalent to US$564.81 to US$1,882.69) before the pandemic, 58% of dentists and 51.6% had income below R$3,000 (US$564.81) during the pandemic. Both before and during the pandemic, younger women (less time since graduation) reported lower income compared to men. The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the income of dental surgeons throughout Brazil.

Brazilian dentist's knowledge of minimum intervention dentistry for caries management: application of a developed knowledge scale (MIDDeC-KS) and evaluation of its psychometric properties.

To assess the knowledge of Brazilian dentists about Minimum Intervention (MI) using a Minimum Intervention Dentistry to Dental Caries-Knowledge Scale (MIDDeC-KS) and evaluate its psychometric properties. An online scale was developed to evaluate dentists' knowledge about MI. The higher the score, the greater the knowledge and vice versa. A preliminary study was carried out with 143 dentists to validate the MIDDeC-KS. For psychometric properties analysis, convergent and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of the instrument were assessed. After validation, MIDDeC-KS was applied to a representative sample of Brazilian dentists. T test for independent samples, Chi-square, and/or ANOVA one-way tests were applied. The MIDDeC-KS convergent (Spearman's = 0.48) and discriminant (P = 0.001) validity and reliability (ICC = 0.85, α = 0.72 and ω = 0.74) were proved. The participants (n = 637) obtained an overall mean score of 7.4 ± 2.5. The sample was mainly composed of females (P < 0.01), who graduated over 10 years prior (P = 0.02), from public colleges (P < 0.01), and most were pediatric dentists (38.2%). The highest and lowest scores were reached by pediatric dentists (9.2 ± 1.6) and bucomaxillofacial professionals (3.1 ± 2.1), respectively. Brazilian dentists demonstrated more knowledge about diet, biofilm, and topical fluoride control (84.3%), while the Hall technique (31.9%), resin infiltrant (47.6%), and chemical mechanical caries removal (48.4%) were the least known MI techniques. Brazilian dentists demonstrated more knowledge about preventive measures and less about more recent protocols, such as the Hall technique, resin infiltrant, and chemical mechanical caries tissue removal. Sufficient psychometric evidence of the MIDDeC-KS was found. Identify dentist's knowledge about MI.

Actions about covid-19 among dentists during the first wave of the pandemic: a cross-sectional survey

The transmission of viruses between species and the emergence of viral pandemics are threats to public health and with catastrophic aftermath for the population. Objective: The objective of this research was evaluated actions of Brazilian dentists concerning covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. Material and methods: The survey was conducted with a web-based questionnaire, from 8th July to 8th August 2020. The participants answered questions about socio-demographic factors, followed by actions towards the covid-19, that include service offered in the pandemic period, personal protective equipment (PPE), mode of prevention, emergency with a suspect case and urgency with a confirmed case. All data were submitted to descriptive and inferential statistics with a 5% significance level. Results: A total of 393 participants were recruited, 27.7% men and 72.3% women with a median age of 30 years (21 – 61). About service offered in the pandemic period 53.4 % of the participants answered to operate as a “usual service with a longer period between patients”. Professionals who do not work in universities have adopted actions of “increasing the time between dental appointments” (p = 0.04) or “operate as usual” (p = 0,02). Nearly PPE, 48,9% wore an N-95 mask. Regarding mode of prevention, older and more experienced dentists adopted more preventive measures than younger and more experienced dentists (p &gt; 0.05), in addition, men choose pre-procedural mouthwash with PVPI more than women (p = 0.014). Likewise, those who work at universities also choose pre-procedural mouthwash with PVPI more than those who do not work at universities (p = 0.004). The action regarding urgency and emergency care varied according to the educational level of the participant. Conclusion: It is important to emphasize that during this moment of uncertainty, it is necessary to be constantly aware of new scientific evidence. While generally accepting of federal and state recommendations, respondents seemed to desire more guidance during the initial phase of the pandemic. Some participants’ actions towards covid-19 were divergences from the recommendations proposed by the regulatory agencies.

Burnout among Brazilian Dentists during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study.

This article identifies the factors associated with burnout among dentists in the state of Bahia, Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study, conducted between November 2020 and February 2021, of 251 dentists, selected by snowball sampling. Sociodemographic, occupational, and epidemiological information was collected in an electronic form. Burnout was evaluated through the Maslach Burnout Inventory; anxiety through the Beck Anxiety Inventory; and quality of life through the WHOQol-BREF questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was used to identify factors associated with variations in levels of the three burnout dimensions. The mean levels of the burnout dimensions were: Emotional Exhaustion: 28.9 ± 8.9 (SD); Depersonalization = 8.2 ± 6.3; and Personal Accomplishment: 28.0 ± 6.2. The proportion of professionals with high Emotional Exhaustion (≥ 30 cut-off score), high Depersonalization (≥ 12 cut-off score), and low Personal Accomplishment (≤ 33 cut-off score) were 43.4%, 26.3% and 81.3%, respectively. Burnout components were associated with high anxiety; lower levels of the physical, psychological, social relations, and environmental dimensions of quality of life; less time working as a dentist; increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, feeling safe when using personal protective equipment, and support from work fellows. The dentists investigated showed moderate levels of Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization, and very low levels of Personal Accomplishment. The prevention and mitigation of burnout syndrome among dentists during a pandemic should consider several factors, such as quality of life, amount of time in the profession, use of personal protective equipment, support from fellow dentists, and alcohol consumption.

Geographic Distribution of Brazilian Dentists: Motivation and Perception for Migration

AbstractThe Human Resources for Health (HRH) are considered as being crucial for the organization of the health systems and for the population health conditions; in this context, the purpose of this work is 1) to identify the current geographic distribution situation of Brazilian dentists, 2) to identify and analyze the perception and motivations of Brazilian dentists who migrated to the interior of the country. A case study approach was used and the data were collected from different sources (Federal Council of Dentistry, Health Graduation Indicators System, Geocapes, Brazilian National Institute of Geography and Statistics) using the mixed method, from the quantitative-qualitative exploratory sequential model, the qualitative phase was analyzed by using the “grounded theory” approach. The findings point out that the county has a great stock of dentists and that it significantly increased in recent years; however, it is poorly distributed over the territory, particularly when the differences between the interior and the capitals of the country are analyzed. The main category of the grounded theory was “The opportunities changing the ways to consolidate the professional”; the interviews point out that the dentists’ place of birth and the opportunities over their professional career were crucial to determine the distribution of dentists throughout the Brazilian territory. It’s concluded that Brazil has a dentistry workforce stock; however, it faces the results of the lack of HRH regulation policies which include dentistry. Such reality enhances the health gaps in some country regions and market saturation in major urban centers. Keywords: Dentistry. Dental Staff. Job Market. Public Policy. ResumoOs Recursos Humanos em Saúde (RHS) são considerados fundamentais para a organização dos sistemas de saúde e para as condições de saúde de uma população, nesse contexto o objetivo desse trabalho é 1) identificar a situação atual da distribuição geográfica de dentistas brasileiros 2) identificar e analisar a percepção e motivações de dentistas brasileiros que migraram para o interior do país. Foi utilizada a abordagem de estudo de caso e os dados foram coletados a partir de diferentes fontes (Conselho Federal de Odontologia, Sistema de Indicadores das Graduações em Saúde, Geocapes, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística), utilizando o método misto, a partir do modelo exploratório sequencial quantitativo-qualitativo, a fase qualitativa foi analisada por meio da abordagem da “teoria fundamentada”. Os achados apontam que o país apresenta um grande estoque de dentista, e que houve uma grande expansão nos últimos anos, no entanto este apresenta-se mal distribuídos pelo território, principalmente quando analisado as diferenças entre o interior e as capitais do país. A categoria central da teoria fundamentada foi “As oportunidades mudando os caminhos para consolidar o profissional”, as entrevistas apontam que o local de nascimento dos dentistas e as oportunidades durante sua trajetória profissional foram decisivas para determinar a distribuição de dentistas no território brasileiro. Conclui-se, que o Brasil apresenta estoque de força de trabalho em odontologia, porém enfrenta os resultados da falta de políticas de regulação de RHS, que inclua a odontologia. Essa realidade acentua os vazios sanitários em algumas regiões do país e saturação do mercado nos grandes centros. Palavras-chave: Odontologia. Recursos Humanos em Odontologia. Mercado de Trabalho. Política Pública.

A survey on brazilian dentists’ awareness, perception, and knowledge of bisphosphonates

Aim: The purpose of the study was to analyze the knowledge of dentists in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, about bisphosphonates and their clinical implications. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted with a convenience sample of dentists in Belo Horizonte, in a period of 8 weeks. The questionnaire was self-applied and was structured with 10 items about the dentists’ demographic characteristics, professional profile, and knowledge about bisphosphonates. Associations in the data were analyzed by with the Fischer’s exact test with a significance level of 5%. Results: Of the 214 participating dentists, 163 (76.17%) were women, and 51 (23.83%) were men, with age ranged for 21 to 73 years (mean of 30 years) and mean of 6 years of professional activity. Nearly half (106/49.53%) reported having knowledge about bisphosphonates, and undergraduate courses were the primary source of such information (73/34.11%). Osteoporosis was the most identified indication for use (75/35.04%), although no participants correctly identified all indications. Regarding the drugs’ side effects, only three dentists (1.40%) could correctly identify all responses, with bone necrosis being recognized by the majority (88/41.12%). Sodium alendronate (54/25.23%) and sodium ibandronate (15/7.01%) were the most identified examples of bisphosphonates. Last, only nine dentists (4.20%) could identify all examples of the drugs, and their capacity was associated with self-reported knowledge (p&lt;0.05). Conclusions: More information about bisphosphonates should be disseminated in Belo Horizonte, ideally via better approaches in local undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Until then, knowledge of the basic aspects of bisphosphonates will remain limited.

Did the Use of Minimum Interventions for Caries Management Change during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the frequency of use of minimum intervention (MI) techniques for caries management during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire was applied through the SurveyMonkey^TM platform to evaluate changes in the dentist’s frequency of use of noninvasive, microinvasive, minimally invasive, and mixed interventions, nonaerosol or aerosol productive, to manage dental caries before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Differences in the use of MI techniques were analyzed by Wilcoxon test, and the effect size (ES) was calculated. An α = 0.05 was adopted. A total of 781 dentists answered the questionnaire; most of them were female (76.4%), with 30s (76.4%), graduated over 10–24 years ago (38%) in public dental schools (62%), graduated in southwest of Brazil (38%), that work in clinical environment (66.8%) and in private jobs (53.4%). During COVID-19, among the sample, 91 respondents were not working. In relation to the noninvasive techniques, only the use of casein phosphopeptide amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.01; ES = 0.11). The frequency of sealants to repair defective restorations was the only microinvasive technique that increased during the pandemic (p < 0.01; ES = 0.03). Among the minimally invasive techniques, the use of atraumatic restorative treatment increased significantly (p < 0.01; ES = 0.06), while the use of air abrasion decreased (p = 0.02; ES = 0.04) during COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, nonrestorative cavity control (mixed intervention) increased during pandemic period (p < 0.001; ES = 0.11). Although the results demonstrated differences in the use of some procedures, a very small magnitude of the effect was perceived, demonstrating that the influence of COVID-19 pandemic was very little, if any, in the use of MI techniques for caries management. Moreover, the use of MI strategies was already well established between Brazilian dentists before the pandemic period.

Evidence-practice gap in treatment recommendations for proximal caries among Brazilian dentists

Evidence-practice gap in treatment recommendations for proximal caries among Brazilian dentists

Deep occlusal carious lesions clinical management by Brazilian dentists: a nationwide e-survey

Deep occlusal carious lesions clinical management by Brazilian dentists: a nationwide e-survey

EVIDENCE-PRACTICE GAP IN TREATMENT DECISIONS ABOUT DEFECTIVE COMPOSITE AND AMALGAM RESTORATIONS AMONG BRAZILIAN DENTISTS.

Better understanding of dentists' decision-making about defective restorations is needed to close the evidence-practice gap (EPG). Aim: this study aimed to quantify the EPG about defective restorations and identify dentist factors associated with this EPG. Methods: 216 dentists from São Paulo State, Brazil, completed a questionnaire about three clinical case scenarios involving defective composite restorations with cementum-dentin margins (case 1) and enamel margins (case 2), and an amalgam (case 3) restoration. Dentists were asked what treatment, if any, they would recommend, including preventive treatment, polishing, re-surfacing, or repairing the restoration, or replacing the entire restoration. Replacing the entire restoration in any of these three scenarios was classified as inconsistent with the evidence, comprising an EPG. Bivariate analyses using Chi-square, ANOVA, or multiple comparison tests were performed (p<.05). Results: for defective composite restorations, 49% and 55% of dentists chose to replace the entire restoration for cases 1 and 2, respectively. Twenty-nine percent of dentists chose to replace the entire amalgam restoration. Dentists were significantly more likely to choose to replace the defective amalgam restoration than the composite restoration with a defect at the cementum-dentin margins or the enamel margins (both at p < .001). Female dentists were more likely to choose a conservative treatment than male dentists for cases 1 (p=.034) and 2 (p=.009). Dentists with a higher percentage of patients interested in individualized caries prevention were also more conservative in case 1 (p=.045). Conclusion: a substantial EPG regarding treatment decisions for defective restorations exists, especially for composite restorations. This study adds to the international evidence that an EPG exists in this clinical area and that global strategies need to be developed to close the gap.

Deep occlusal carious lesions clinical management by Brazilian dentists: a nationwide e-survey

Deep occlusal carious lesions clinical management by Brazilian dentists: a nationwide e-survey