Mary Caroline Skelton Macedo

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, perceived security, and interest of dentists in adopting digital tools designed for teledentistry within the Ortogeo institution. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative investigation was conducted with 205 dentists between May and December 2024. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire composed of open- and closed-ended questions. Descriptive and inferential analyses were applied to explore associations between technological adoption and variables such as prior knowledge, use of messaging applications, perceived security, and the number of advantages identified by participants. Results: The findings revealed that 64.88% of respondents were familiar with the concept of teledentistry, 72.68% used WhatsApp® as a telehealth resource, and 92.68% expressed interest in adopting a dedicated digital platform, provided it ensured regulatory compliance and data security. Statistically significant correlations were observed between interest in adopting the platform and prior knowledge, messaging app usage, perceived security, and the number of perceived benefits. Open-ended responses highlighted agility, convenience, and time savings as the main advantages, while limitations included the impossibility of clinical examination, legal uncertainties, and regulatory gaps. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that, although teledentistry is recognized as a valuable tool by most professionals, its successful implementation requires ongoing professional training, secure technological solutions, and the establishment of public policies that ensure ethical and regulated integration into clinical practice.

Background: Teledentistry has been utilized in public dental health to reduce waiting times and transportation costs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became an essential tool to minimize disruptions in dental care and promote oral health education remotely. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual platforms and face-to-face consultations in improving children's oral hygiene. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 children, and their guardians, aged 6 to 10 years. Three groups based on the oral hygiene guidance were taken: 1) WhatsApp, 2) Video for Health platform, and 3) face-to-face. Oral hygiene was evaluated using the visible plaque index, brushing time, brushing method, flossing, toothpaste use, and adult supervision. Statistical analysis used Mann‒Whitney, Spearman's, Wilcoxon, Kruskal‒Wallis, and Fisher's Exact tests. Results: The children’s mean age was 7.8 ± 1.5 years. All methods significantly reduced the plaque index and improved brushing habits (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the remote and face-to-face methods (p > 0.05). Guardians' involvement contributed to positive outcomes in children's oral health. Conclusions: The study suggests that teledentistry is as effective as face-to-face consultations in improving children's oral hygiene and can be a viable alternative for remote oral health education.

Due to the limitations of conventional antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising therapeutic alternatives for the prevention and treatment of oral infections. This study systematically evaluated in vitro evidence regarding the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of natural AMPs against oral pathogens. A systematic search using the PICOT strategy was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus, retrieving 7711 articles. After title and abstract screening, 109 studies were selected for full-text analysis, resulting in 26 articles that met the eligibility criteria. Among the AMPs evaluated, nisin (n = 15) and LL-37 (n = 5) were the most frequently investigated, while other peptides included lactoferrin, lactoferricin, melittin, lysozyme, histatin-5, cystatin C, chromogranin A, parasin-1, protamine, AmyI-1-18, and DCD-1L. Natural AMPs of human and animal origin demonstrated antimicrobial activity against bacteria associated with oral infections, particularly Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis. These peptides were tested in different formulations, including solutions, incorporation into dental materials and polymers, and application in sonodynamic antimicrobial therapy. Overall, the findings indicate that natural AMPs represent a promising class of biomolecules for controlling oral biofilms; however, further clinical studies are required to validate their long-term efficacy and safety.

Teaching dental anatomy faces challenges related to ethical concerns, cost of materials and quality of artificial representations. Virtual and augmented reality technologies have been explored for education and training in healthcare for the same motivations. In this paper we present a novel mixed reality tool that allows dental students to visualize and manipulate 3D models of tooth surface and tooth root, generated from microtomography scans. The development process by a multidisciplinary team is described, followed by results from performance evaluation and assessment by an expert panel. Performance was within the guidelines for applications in the adopted head-mounted device, and expert assessment was positive regarding its usefulness and ease of use. Future work includes assessing the tool's pedagogical effectiveness in anatomy classes.

A presença da tecnologia é notável na vida de estudantes, especialmente com uso de aplicativos para telefones, se tornando um desafio e oportunidade para o ensino. Um aplicativo móvel foi proposto como ferramenta auxiliar no aprendizado de Endodontia. O presente estudo descreve o processo de desenvolvimento e teste da aplicação como ferramenta auxiliar no processo de aprendizagem da disciplina de Endodontia, junto a 44 graduandos de Endodontia do curso de Odontologia da Universidade de Cuiabá, por aplicação de questionário de feedback. O aplicativo teste foi idealizado com um layout de 4x3, com cores vermelha e vinho (em alusão às cores relacionadas à Odontologia), letras em cor branca, modo de exibição grade de espaço para 12 ícones com formato quadrado com ângulos arredondados. Os 44 estudantes responderam a 12 questões divididas em 3 domínios: motivação, estilo e conteúdo, a fim de avaliar aplicabilidade, conteúdo e atratividade. Os resultados foram analisados por estatística descritiva. O desempenho do aplicativo foi positivo, com destaque para avaliação “Excelente” de, ao menos, 70% dentro do domínio “conteúdo”. Os domínios “Estilo” e “Motivação” também apresentaram resultados positivos. Em relação à facilidade de instalação, o resultado pode ser explicado pela não disponibilização do aplicativo nas principais lojas de aplicações, normalmente utilizadas por usuários de smartphones. Conclui-se a boa aceitação por parte dos alunos e a necessidade de ser formada uma equipe multiprofissional para garantir satisfação não apenas com o conteúdo, mas também com a forma e motivação para aprendizagem. Sugere-se o estímulo por meio da gamificação, que pode agregar valor extra à aprendizagem. A utilização de ferramentas tecnológicas em uma metodologia ativa é desejável e pode melhorar a experiência de alunos de graduação. Palavras-chave: Tecnologia Educacional. Educação em Odontologia. Endodontia. Odontologia Abstract Technology, particularly mobile phone applications, has a significant presence in students' lives, impacting education by presenting both challenges and opportunities. A mobile application was proposed as an auxiliary tool for learning Endodontics. This study describes the development and testing process of the application as a learning aid for the Endodontics course, involving 44 Endodontics undergraduates from the Dentistry program at the University of Cuiabá, through the application of a feedback questionnaire. The test application was designed with a 4x3 layout, using red and burgundy colors (related to Dentistry), white text, and a grid display mode for 12 square icons with rounded corners. The 44 students answered 12 questions divided into 3 domains: motivation, style, and content, to evaluate applicability, content, and attractiveness. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The application's performance was positive, with an "Excellent" rating from at least 70% of students in the "Content" domain. The "Style" and "Motivation" domains also showed positive results. The ease of installation issue can be attributed to the application's unavailability in major app stores commonly used by smartphone users. The study concludes that students accepted the application well and highlights the need for a multidisciplinary team to ensure satisfaction with both the content and the form and motivation for learning. It is suggested to incorporate gamification, which can add extra value to the learning process. The use of technological tools in an active methodology is desirable and can enhance the experience of undergraduate students. Keywords: Educacional Technology. Dental Education. Endodontics. Dentistry.

Apresenta-se a experiência da simulação clínica realística (SCR) efetuada no Laboratório de Simulação Clínica Realística e de Realidade Virtual Aumentada da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo (inaugurado em junho de 2022). Essa metodologia contribui significativamente na formação do estudante de Odontologia em todas as áreas do conhecimento odontológico. Sua aplicação deve submeter-se a protocolos corretos construção do problema (briefing), a simulação e discussão posterior (debriefing). Este cenário constitui o presente e o futuro da realidade do ensino odontológico. De fato, sua estratégia possibilita a simulação de uma multiplicidade de situações clínicas. Para tal, impõe-se a estruturação de um ambiente específico (aqui denominado “laboratório”). Este trabalho resume os fundamentos dessa simulação e a avaliação interna de sua aplicabilidade e inequívoca eficácia na nossa Faculdade. De fato, a simulação é uma estratégia facilitadora imprescindível no processo ensino-aprendizagem da Odontologia, cujo papel nesse processo deve delinear-se cada vez mais importante, na medida em que outros centros formadores forem adotando esse recurso e forem progressivamente intercambiando suas experiências e avaliações.

A pandemia da COVID-19 impôs ações assertivas em todos os níveis da sociedade. Aqui se relata o apoio emergencial na Resposta Rápida do Núcleo de Evidências e Análises Econômicas da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo (EvipOralHealth) para a coordenadoria estadual de saúde bucal de São Paulo, em prol da tomada de decisão e ressignificação do processo de trabalho. Foram implementadas duas estratégias de teleodontologia para a educação permanente (EP) dos trabalhadores de saúde bucal: 1. Lives com pesquisadores, estudantes, gestores e trabalhadores das diversas áreas da saúde pública e da Odontologia para estabelecer marcos teóricos; 2. Ambulatórios virtuais - via webconferência. Reuniu-se gestores e trabalhadores para a condução de diálogos de políticas sobre o dia a dia do enfrentamento e de adaptações e condições de trabalho de cada região. A experiência revela a importância da relação ensino-serviço-comunidade efetiva, pautada na tradução do conhecimento e na construção de espaços de troca possibilitando a implementação de práticas, programas e políticas. Precisamos repensar as estratégias de EP, sermos mais ágeis, mais flexíveis, menos acadêmicos e capazes de adaptar conteúdos e formatos às necessidades. A teleodontologia e a teleducação podem conferir escala e fazer chegar mais facilmente o conhecimento aos que necessitam.