Knowledge of dental caries and salivary factors related to the disease: influence of the teaching-learning process

Autor(es)

Ferreira-Nobilo, Naiara de Paula ^[1] ; Machado Tabchoury, Cinthia Pereira ^[2] ; Rosario de Sousa, Maria da Luz ^[1] ; Cury, Jaime Aparecido ^[2]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Piracicaba Dent Sch, Dept Community Dent, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Piracicaba Dent Sch, Dept Physiol Sci, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Brazilian Oral Research; v. 29, n. 1 2015.
• Citações Web of Science: 1

Resumo

Knowledge of factors related to caries and the possible consequences in controlling the disease may show the use of education as a relevant tool for achieving success in terms of dental health maintenance. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between acquired knowledge and salivary factors related to dental caries for freshmen students (n = 44) and trainees (n = 32) of the Piracicaba Dental School. Knowledge about dental caries was evaluated by a discursive questionnaire analyzed by the content analysis technique. Salivary flow and pH, buffer capacity, salivary sucrase activity, microbiological counts (total microorganisms, mutans, and lactobacilli) and inorganic concentration of calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride in saliva were evaluated and compared between groups using the Mann–Whitney test, with a significance of 5%. Trainees demonstrated knowledge of the disease, whereas freshmen showed unspecific and confusing concepts. Among the factors analyzed, statistically significant differences were observed for pH, buffer capacity, sucrase activity, total microorganisms, and calcium and fluoride concentrations in saliva. Knowledge about the disease increases and improves over time during the undergraduate program (highest among trainees); although the students from the final year of the program consume more sugar than those from the previous one, they try to balance this activity with greater exposure to fluorides. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 11/24042-9 - Ensino da Cariologia no Brasil
• Beneficiário: Naiara de Paula Ferreira Nóbilo
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado Direto
• Processo FAPESP: 09/12370-1 - Evolução do conhecimento dos estudantes da FOP sobre cárie no transcorrer da graduação em Odontologia e seu impacto em fatores responsáveis pela doença
• Beneficiário: Naiara de Paula Ferreira Nóbilo
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado