Selamento de fóssulas e fissuras de molares permanentes: conhecimento dos cirurgiões- dentistas brasileiros

Abstract

The occlusal surfaces of permanent molars have pits and fissures, being an area of greatest attention for dentists in relation to the risk of caries. The application of sealants in these regions aims to create a physical barrier preventing the beginning of the carious process, and can also be used to stop the carious activity. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of dentists about the use of pit and fissure sealants. The study was observational, cross-sectional and analytical, with a quantitative approach, using an unprecedented questionnaire in the form of an online form with a sample of dentists working in Brazil. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) program for Windows (version 16.0). Closed questions were quantitatively evaluated in absolute (n) and relative (%) frequencies. Associations were performed using the chi-square test (p<0.05). After exploratory analysis, multiple logistic regression models were performed when p<0.20, performed in the R 4.0.4 environment. Of the participants in this research, most dentists were female (64.6%), from a public higher education institution (61.4%), with training time between 6 and 10 years (19.3% ), with the highest level of specialization degrees (57.9%), coming from municipalities with more than 500 thousand inhabitants (41.6%), from the interior (40.9%) of the Southeast region (37.1%), who sometimes perform pit and fissure sealants (28.2%) of the non-invasive type (72.2%). According to the indication criteria, the professionals did not present a single standard for its use. The most used materials were resin sealants (82.9%) and ionomeric sealants (65.2%), with the vast majority of professionals following all the acceptable clinical steps of the technique. Regarding the dentists' perception of effectiveness, the professionals stated that they fully or partially agreed that sealants serve both as a preventive method (44.8% and 37.7%, respectively) and therapeutic (48.1% and 35%, respectively). .0%, respectively). Teachers (OR=1.82; 95%CI:1.03-3.44) working in the public service were more likely to have a positive perception of the use of sealants for prevention (OR=1.72; 95%CI:1, 17-2.59), and who always perform the procedure (OR=3.85; 95%CI:1.89-9.24). Professionals residing in a metropolitan region were less likely to have a positive perception of sealants for prevention than those residing in the capital (OR=0.54; 95%CI:0.33-0.91). Dental surgeons who work in cities with more than 500 thousand inhabitants (OR=0.54; 95%CI:0.3-0.96), in the countryside (OR=0.54; 95%CI:0.3-0.96) were less likely to have a positive perception of the use of sealants for treatment. =0.39; 95%CI:0.19-0.81) and metropolitan region (OC=0.48; 95%CI:0.27-0.85). CDs that use resin sealant (OR=3.20; 95%CI:1.63-6.01; OR=3.51;95%CI:1.77-6.59), glass ionomer cement (OR= 4.20; IC95%:3.07-5.75; OR=3.74; IC95%:2.63-5.33) and Flow resin (OR=1.66; IC95%:1.21-2 .27; OR=1.76; 95%CI: 1.24-2.51) as sealing materials present positive perceptions for prevention and treatment in relation to dentists who do not use these materials. The present study shows that most of the study participants use pit and fissure sealants in permanent molars in their clinical practices as a preventive and therapeutic measure correctly, and have high levels of positive perception about their use.