Aim This study aimed to evaluate the effect of frozen storage on the physical properties of a silicone-based test food material, highly used to evaluate the masticatory performance in research settings. Methods A total of 1,666 silicone cubes of Optosil Comfort® with 5.6-mm edges were shaped and stored at -18°C. The cubes were subsequently tested for flexural strength (maximum force, displacement, stress, and strain) before breaking (n = 136), changes in weight and size (n = 170), and masticatory performance (n = 1360) at eight timepoints: immediately after cube preparation (baseline, no freezing), and 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks, and 2, 4 and 6 months after frozen storage. The cubes were thawed 8 h before each assessment. Results The maximum force, stress, maximum displacement, and deformation values for the cubes were not affected by freezing (P > 0.05). At all of the time points, the cubes exhibited similar weight (P = 0.366) and size (identical values). The masticatory performance for the cubes also showed no differences from baseline through 6 months (P = 0.061). Conclusion Freezing Optosil Comfort® silicone cubes did not alter the physical and mechanical properties of the material, being suitable to optimize the assessment of masticatory parameters for research purposes.

Aim This cross-sectional observational study aimed to evaluate the influence of the Universities lockdown measures on academic perspectives and psychosocial aspects of Brazilian final-year dental students. Methods 268 undergraduate students regularly enrolled in a Dentistry course at public universities were asked about anxiety, depression, stress sensitivity, and their academic perspectives by using an online survey. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety and depression, while the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) evaluated stress levels. The academic perspective was evaluated by five affirmatives regarding possible difficulties that will be faced when school reopens and after graduation. The possible association between fear of having COVID-19 with psychosocial outcomes and COVID-19 association with academic perspectives were analyzed by ANOVA and chi-square tests, respectively, considering a significance level of 5%. Results Considering possible associations between the fear of having COVID-19 and psychosocial aspects, significant values were found for anxiety (P = 0.018) and stress sensitivity (P = 0.002). Regarding students’ academic perspectives, COVID-19 had significant impact on less opportunity to perform procedures (P = 0.023), additional expenses with personal protective equipment (P = 0.007), and concerns of consulting elderly people (P = 0.012). Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased psychological impairments and enlarged concerns with learning and biosecurity, which might impact academic perspectives. Thus, being aware of these apprehensions, university professors and staff can improve the clinical training of final-year dental students in an empathetic way.

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between two Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) questionnaires (the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)) and to investigate the factors associated with the OHRQoL of institutionalized elderly individuals. A cross-sectional multicenter study was performed with 344 institutionalized elderly individuals residing in two Brazilian cities. Six trained researchers interviewed the elderly individuals. Sociodemographic data were collected from medical records. Dental caries experience and the use of and need for dentures were recorded through oral examination performed by two trained examiners. A Likert scale (1–5 points) was used to assess general health and self-perceived oral health. The number of chewing cycles needed to chew a portion of peanuts was used to assess the swallowing threshold. The OHIP-14 and GOHAI were used to evaluate OHRQoL, and statistically significant correlations were assessed using Spearman’s correlation test (p < 0.05). Poisson regression (p < 0.05) was used to investigate the association of OHRQoL with independent variables. Scores on the OHIP-14 (7.57 ± 8.63) and GOHAI (32.46 ± 3.85) were strongly and inversely correlated (r2 = -0.671, p < 0.001), although these measures were associated with different factors. A higher OHIP-14 total score (worse OHRQoL) was associated with female gender, a greater number of healthy teeth, worse self-perceived general health and oral health, and a lower swallowing threshold (p < 0.05). A higher GOHAI total score (better OHRQoL) was associated with a greater number of filled teeth, better self-perceived oral health and a greater swallowing threshold (p < 0.05). In conclusion, worse OHRQoL among institutionalized elderly individuals is associated with worse self-perceived oral health and a greater swallowing threshold.