Brazilian oral research
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Pain is an unpleasant, sensitive and emotional experience associated with or described in terms of tissue lesion, and may be acute or chronic. It may also be classified as nociceptive, neuropathic or psychogenic. Nociceptive pain involves the transformation of environmental stimuli into action potentials carried to the central nervous system, where they are modulated and integrated up to final interpretation in the cerebral cortex. ⋯ Drug therapy should be selected according to its efficacy; nonetheless, the professional should also consider the tolerability and adverse effects that may occur, for example, in elderly individuals. It is necessary to emphasize the safety-considering the possibility of drug interactions-and define the posology to promote better adherence. However, the treatment of neuropathic pain should not be limited to the use of analgesic drugs, which are just one among several options enabling patients to participate in bio-psycho-social rehabilitation programs.
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Brazilian oral research · Jan 2012
Programmatic actions in oral health: coping with social inequities.
Inequities are health imbalances that are avoidable, unfair and unnecessary. Studies on health inequities address the need for emergency care related to oral-dental lesions from external causes, toothache or prevalence of oral lesions, taking into account the differences between individuals and/or populations in terms of risk conditions to acquiring disease or access to health services. ⋯ Moreover, programmatic actions should strategically use technological devices, without disregarding technical and policy flexibility, and should be closely related to inter-subjectivity and ethics, in order to develop emancipating capabilities. An action having this structure could make it easier to achieve Universality, Equity and Integrality.
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This article offers a critical review of the problem of inequalities in oral health and discusses strategies for disease prevention and oral health promotion. It shows that oral health is not merely a result of individual biological, psychological, and behavioral factors; rather, it is the sum of collective social conditions created when people interact with the social environment. ⋯ Adopting a mixed approach, these interventions should also reduce inequality, focusing on the socioeconomic determinants, to change the slope of the social gradient. The cornerstone of this approach is the Integrated Common Risk Factor Approach (CRFA).
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Brazilian oral research · Jan 2012
Orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders: the impact on oral health and quality of life.
Many conditions may cause painful symptoms in orofacial structures. Among the chronic conditions that affect this area, temporomandibular disorders are the most common. ⋯ The present study aims to explain the relationship between Temporomandibular Disorders and pain chronification and their relation to a variety of psychosocial and behavioral comorbid conditions. The mechanisms of pain conduction and suggestions for management are also addressed.