Otávio Pereira D'Avila

Atenção Primária a Saúde voltada as necessidades dos idosos: da teoria à prática

This article seeks to establish a confrontation between theory and practice with respect to healthcare for the elderly. The theory was evaluated by a study of documents that comprise the legal and theoretical framework related to the health of the elderly, which generated a matrix to assess universal access, equity, comprehensiveness and quality of care. However, the practice of healthcare was evaluated by a population-based study conducted on 862 elderly individuals and a census that assessed primary healthcare (PHC) units in two districts of Porto Alegre in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The variables chosen to verify the categories were type of care accessed, first contact attribute, wheelchair accessibility and availability of priority access. Other variables include comprehensive care and the presence of dental root remains, basic PHC score, the adequacy of health facilities and ongoing professional training, as well as cross-sectional categories, elderly groups and home care. A mismatch was found between recommendation and practice in some factors and advances were observed in the equity and quality of care regarding the ongoing training of professionals.

Interventions for the Management of Denture Stomatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

To assess the effectiveness of different interventions for treating or preventing denture stomatitis (DS).

Can more resilient elderly people be more satisfied with dental services

IntroductionWith respect to dental health services, few studies have been developed to understand the satisfaction of this age group with these services.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between resilience and satisfaction with dental services among elderly people, using a model adjusted for confounding factors.Material and methodThe locus of the research was the Lomba-Parthenon district management, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 771 elderly people living in their homes were identified through cluster sampling. The subjects responded to a socio-demographic and health behaviors questionnaire, the Resilience Scale and to questions regarding their satisfaction with dental care accessed. Furthermore, a brief oral examination was conducted to count the number of teeth and to identify the use of dental prostheses.ResultBased on a hierarchical approach conducted using Multivariate Logistic Regression and after fully adjusted analysis, the estimated odds ratios of the variables that were significantly associated with the outcome of this study, satisfaction with dental care, were: 1) obtaining a dental appointment, classified as regular: OR= 1.85, 95% CI (1.10 to 3.12); 2) obtaining a dental appointment, classified as bad: OR= 2.17, 95% CI (1.05 to 4.50); and, 3) high potential for resilience: OR= 0.60, 95% CI (0.37 to 0.97).ConclusionThe results confirm the hypothesis of an association between high potential for resilience and satisfaction with the Dental Services accessed by elderly people.

Association between depressive symptoms and dental care-seeking behavior among elderly Brazilian people

Background Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent among the elderly population (10%). These symptoms frequently appear when there is a loss of quality of life associated with social exclusion and the appearance of severe diseases. Feelings of sadness, discouragement, despondency and deception, and events such as the loss of close friends and family can also be related to these symptoms. The consequences of depressive symptoms include negative oral health outcomes, such as a decrease in the frequency of toothbrushing, greater prevalence of caries and higher probability of the appearance of periodontitis. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the association between the presence of depressive symptoms and problem-oriented oral healthcare behavior, as well as the absence of healthcare-seeking behavior. Material and method 872 elderly people living in two health districts in Porto Alegre were evaluated. They provided information on socioeconomic variables at an interview, and responded to the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 and to a questionnaire assessing dental care-seeking behavior. In addition, an oral examination was performed. When analyzed using Poisson regression with robust variance, the variables of male sex, less schooling, lower income, reduced number of teeth, presence of root remnants and presence of depressive symptoms were found to be independently associated with the outcome. Result There was a significant difference regarding dental care-seeking behavior in relation to elderly people presenting depressive symptoms and those in low socioeconomic strata having poor oral status. Conclusion It was concluded that these factors need to be taken into consideration when evaluating dental care-seeking behavior.