Erosive tooth wear knowledge in a brazilian dental school: what has changed after a decade?

• Autor(a) principal: Ana Paula Hermont
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Lorena Castro Rocha, Isabela Almeida Pordeus, Sheyla Márcia Auad
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFMG
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.30979/rev.abeno.v21i1.1219; http://hdl.handle.net/1843/52879
• topic: Education, dental; Students, dental; Faculty, dental; Patients; Tooth erosion; Knowledge; Education, dental; Students, dental; Faculty, dental; Patients; Tooth erosion; Knowledge

This study aimed to assess knowledge related to erosive tooth wear (ETW) among patients, students and faculty members in a Brazilian dental school and compare it with data from a previous study conducted ten years earlier in the same academic environment. A controlled cross-sectional study involving 289 participants was conducted at a dental school in Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil. Knowledge of ETW was evaluated through a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis used chi-square test; z-test adjusted by Bonferroni correction (p≤0.05). Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. Among the 289 participants, 71.0% had heard about ETW with a lower percentage among patients (p<0.001). Students and faculty members frequently mentioned eating disorders and acidic diet as the main etiological factors for ETW (p<0.001). However, patients acknowledged bacteria (p=0.026) and poor oral hygiene (p=0.002) as etiological factors. Comparison between present findings and data from the previous study showed no significant increase in participants who had heard about the condition (p>0.499). There was also no improvement in knowledge of ETW among patients (p>0.227), and no significant difference when patients were asked whether they had received preventive recommendations by students (p=0.303). However, there was a significant improvement in all variables regarding students’ diagnostic skills (p<0.005) and in the knowledgeof ETW signs and symptoms among faculty members (p=0.030). In conclusion, knowledge of ETW is still not fully incorporated by the sample. However, there was an improvement in students and faculty’s diagnostic skills since the last study conducted in 2010.