ABSTRACT Purpose: to assess the recognition of salty, sweet, and citrus tastes in complete denture wearers. Methods: the study included toothless individuals (experimental group) who had been using, for at least 3 months and at the most 5 years, acrylic resin removable bimaxillary complete dentures in good condition and with adequate maxillo-mandibular relationship. The same assessment was performed in the control group, which had 26 toothed individuals. Volunteers had no difficulties ingesting any type of food. Salty, sweet, and citrus tastes were assessed with filter paper strips soaked in such solutions and placed on the tongue dorsum. Assessments were performed in duplicate and in random order. Results: the percentage rate of errors was similar between the control (9.6±13.5%) and experimental groups (10.5±15.5%) (p=0.80). There was no difference in the frequency of correct perception of tastes between denture wearers and toothed individuals. Conclusion: individuals who wore acrylic resin removable bimaxillary complete dentures perceived salty, sweet, and citrus tastes like toothed individuals did.

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar o reconhecimento dos sabores salgado, doce e cítrico em usuários de prótese dentária total. Métodos: foram incluídos indivíduos desdentados (grupo experimental) usuários de prótese total removível bimaxilar confeccionada em resina acrílica, com tempo mínimo de uso de três meses e máximo de cinco anos, em bom estado de conservação e com adequada relação maxilo-mandibular. Como grupo controle, a mesma avaliação foi realizada em 26 indivíduos dentados. Os voluntários não tinham dificuldade na ingestão de nenhum tipo de alimento. Os sabores salgado, doce e cítrico foram testados com fitas de papel filtro embebidas nas soluções e colocadas na parte dorsal da língua. As avaliações foram realizadas em duplicata e em ordem ao acaso. Resultados: a taxa percentual de erros foi igual entre os grupos controle (9,6±13,5%) e experimental (10,5±15,5%) (p=0,80). Não houve diferenças na frequência de percepção correta dos sabores entre indivíduos usuários de prótese e indivíduos dentados. Conclusão: usuários de prótese total removível bimaxilar confeccionada em resina acrílica têm a mesma percepção dos sabores salgado, doce e cítrico que indivíduos dentados.

Abstract Objective To assess the association between risk factors for developing denture stomatitis (DS) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in complete denture wearers. Methodology Participants of both sexes, wearing complete dentures, were classified using the modified Newton classification for the absence or the severity of DS and allocated to groups Normal or zero, IA, IB, II, and III. Lifestyle, oral and denture history, and medication use were assessed using specific questionnaires; clinical parameters such as anatomical characteristics of support were evaluated with the Kapur classification; salivary flow (SF) was calculated by the volume of unstimulated saliva per minute; and microbial load was determined by counting colony forming units (CFU) of target microorganisms present in the biofilm collected from dentures and palate. OHIP-EDENT assessed the OHRQoL. Kendall's tau_b and Spearman tests were applied with a significance level of 5%. Results 184 patients (143 female and 41 male) aged 65.5 ± 6.8 years were evaluated. Positive correlations were found for sex (women; p=0.013, r=0.16), individuals who started to consume alcoholic beverages as a young adult (18–27 years) (p=0.008, r=0.22), CFU of Candida spp. (p<0.001, r=0.27 denture; p<0.001, r=0.31 palate); Candida albicans (p=0.004, r=0.22 denture; p=0.003, r=0.25 palate), and Candida glabrata (p=0.004, r=0.22 denture; p=0.001, r=0.27 palate). Moreover, negative correlations with DS were found for CFU of Staphylococcus spp. (p=0.004, r=-0.20 palate) and enterobacteria (p=0.002, r=-0.24 palate), as well as a negative correlation between SF (p=0.009, r=-0.193) and DS. The CFU of Staphylococcus spp. and enterobacteria on the palate significantly correlated with OHRQoL. Conclusion Being female, consuming alcoholic beverages as a young adult, CFU of Candida spp., Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and salivary flow may be the most significant risk factors for DS. The microbial load of Staphylococcus spp. and enterobacteria seems to influence the quality of life for complete denture wearers.

Abstract This article establishes dialogues between the Madalenas Laboratory - Theater of the Opressed (LM-T@) and Lev S. Vygotsky and Augusto Boal’s writings on art. Creative processes are fundamental to the Theater of the Oppressed practices insofar as they encourage scene experience and imagining possibilities of change in oppressive situations, increasing the participants’ repertoire of action and calling upon them to create transformative social relationships. Information was collected by participation in LM-T@ activities, which were registered in a field diary and analyzed in dialogue with participants’ publications and the writings of Vygotsky and Boal.

Resumo Este artigo tem por objetivo estabelecer diálogos entre o Laboratório Madalenas - Teatro das Oprimidas (LM-T@) e os escritos sobre arte desenvolvidos por Lev S. Vygotsky e Augusto Boal. Compreende-se que processos de criação são fundamentais para as práticas do Teatro das Oprimidas, na medida em que incentivam vivenciar cenicamente e imaginar possibilidades de mudanças em situações opressivas, aumentando o repertório de ação das participantes e convocando-os para a criação de relações sociais transformadoras. A participação em atividades do LM-T@ foi a estratégia metodológica utilizada para a produção de informações para a pesquisa, as quais foram registradas em diário de campo e analisadas em diálogo com publicações de participantes desses grupos e os escritos de Vygotsky e Boal.

O presente estudo objetiva discutir os aspectos contextuais que condicionam e possibilitam a prática profissional do psicólogo no campo da Assistência Social, utilizando como recorte a fala dos psicólogos que atuam nos Centros de Referência Especializados de Assistência Social (CREAS) do estado do Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Coloca-se em debate a atuação do psicólogo nesses espaços, pensando a sua contribuição na consolidação da política pública em questão. A análise dos dados demonstra a necessidade da construção de uma identidade do psicólogo como trabalhador social, apontando para a importância de mudanças no corpo conceitual e técnico da Psicologia.

This paper aims to discuss about contextual aspects that can determine and enable psychological professional exercise in Social Welfare area, using as data the speech of psychologists who work at the Centro de Referência Especializado de Assistência Social (CREAS) from the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). It debates the psychologist's performance in these new spaces, thinking about their contribution for the consolidation of this Social Welfare policy. Analysis shows the need of building an identity of psychologist as a social worker, pointing to the importance of changes in the conceptual and technical framework of Psychology.

Introdução:A fim de reduzir custos e tempo clínico envolvidos com o tratamento, Dentistas têm utilizado métodos simplificados, omitindo ou abreviando partes da técnica de confecção das próteses totais.Objetivo:Levantar as práticas utilizadas pelos Cirurgiões-Dentistas para a confecção de próteses totais.Material e método:Os dados foram levantados por meio de um formulário eletrônico contendo perguntas relativas ao perfil e aos procedimentos clínicos utilizados, a fim de quantificar o uso de métodos simplificados e convencionais, bem como para determinar a relação com o perfil desses profissionais. Os resultados foram analisados por meio de análise de Aglomerados.Resultado:As respostas foram dadas, em sua maioria, por homens, tendo a prática clínica como sua principal fonte de renda e clínica privada ou conveniada como ambiente principal de trabalho (n=119). Grande parte dos entrevistados relatou realizar duas moldagens por arcada, utilização de articulador semiajustável com arco facial, determinação de plano oclusal por meio de guias anatômicos, utilização de meios métricos para análise da dimensão vertical de oclusão e determinação direta da relação cêntrica. O próprio Cirurgião-Dentista relatou ser o responsável na fase de seleção de dentes. A estatística identificou dois Aglomerados, com base nas características demográficas e na prática clínica, sendo um grupo formado por generalistas adeptos de perfis mais simplificados e outro formado por profissionais mais especializados em prótese que realizam técnicas convencionais.Conclusão:A adoção de técnicas simplificadas é associada àqueles Dentistas com perfil mais generalista, enquanto protesistas tendem a trabalhar mais de acordo com a Academia.

Introduction:In order to reduce costs and clinical time involved with complete denture treatment, dentists have employed simplified methods based on the reduction or preclusion of certain traditional technical procedures.Purpose:To survey the procedures used by dentists to fabricate complete dentures.Material and method:Data was obtained by an electronic form containing questions about dentists' profile and clinical procedures, in order to quantify traditional and simplified approaches at several moments and to determine them to different professional profiles. Results were evaluated by means of cluster analysis.Result:The majority of respondents were male dentists with clinical practice as their main income source, mainly in private service (n=119). Most participants use to take a pair of impressions from each arch, employ semiadjustable articulators with facebow transfers, shape the occlusal plane with the aid of anatomic references, determine occlusal vertical dimension by metric methods and use mandibular manipulation for centric relation. The dentists performed tooth selection in most cases. Statistical analysis identified two clusters based on demographic characteristics and clinical procedures. General practitioners adopting simplified methods formed the first cluster, whereas prosthodontists used to conventional methods formed the second.Conclusion:General dentists tend to adopt simplified approaches, and prosthodontists tend to work according to traditional academic methods.

The extent of separation between the maxillary and mandibular teeth in the fabrication of interocclusal splints designed to achieve efficiency and muscle relaxation is controversial and undefined in the literature. Based on this premise, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of interocclusal splint thicknesses of 3 and 6 millimeters on the electrical activity of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles during rest and dental clenching. Twenty asymptomatic individuals (10 males and 10 females) were selected using the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC). Electromyography (EMG) was performed both with and without the 3- and 6-mm splints using the Bio EMG software package, which recorded values given in microvolts (µV). The results, which were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to a 5% significance level (p < 0.05), showed increased electrical activity of the masticatory muscles during dental clenching compared with at rest, with greater activity in the masseter muscle. The electrical activity did not differ according to the thickness of the splints or between males and females. We can conclude that both splint thicknesses are effective in treating muscle hyperactivity given their similar clinical behavior for asymptomatic individuals.