Avaliação de desempenho, nível de conhecimento e noções de segurança de cirurgiões-dentistas do estado do Ceará acerca de aparelhos fotopolimerizadores

Abstract

The notable and increasing search for aesthetic procedures has redefined the dental market and composite resin (CR) is the direct restorative material in greatest demand. Factors such as good mechanical properties of the material, adequate micromechanical bonding to tooth structure and satisfactory aesthetics allow the use of CR as a viable alternative for conservative procedures. However, all these characteristics are influenced by the quality of light-curing of the product, which often tends to be minimized by dentists, directly influencing the longevity and final mechanical properties of the material. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the performance and knowledge of dentists working in the State of Ceará about the light-curing process, as well as to analyze the notions of safety required for the procedure. To this end, the research was initially submitted and approved by the Ethics Committee, under the parecer nº 4.339.746, after that, an online questionnaire was conducted, directed to dentistry professionals, which gathered information about the socio-demographic data of the sample and information about the light-curing process. The inclusion criteria were dentists working in Ceará; exclusion criteria were undergraduate dental students, assistants, and oral health technicians; and removal criteria were questionnaires without signed informed consent forms and dentists who did not perform restorative procedures. A sample of 395 professionals was obtained, from which 21 responses were removed, because they were dentists who did not perform restorative procedures. The data were submitted to statistical analysis using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software, with a 95% significance level. Among the research findings, it was observed that 48.8% of the participants follow the light-curing time recommendations of the manufacturer of the restorative material, 64.2% do not know the irradiance of their equipment, 88.8% do not have an irradiance meter, and only 10.2% of the professionals use adequate eye protection during the light-curing procedure. Thus, it can be seen that there is a deficiency in the performance and knowledge of dentists in Ceará about light curing, besides not having the habit of checking the irradiance levels of their devices and also the lack of knowledge of the risks involved in light curing and the need for appropriate eye protection. Thus, it is suggested that dental schools in Ceará reinforce the correct use of light curing devices, as well as the use of protection, in addition to the dissemination of the subject via social networks to reach professionals on the subject. It is also important that further studies be developed to add and solidify this subject in the literature.