Dentists’ knowledge and experiences related to leprosy in Cáceres, MT, Brazil

Authors

  • Denise da Costa Boamorte Cortela SMS e UFMT
  • Eliane Ignotti UNEMAT e UFMT

Keywords:

Leprosy, oral health, comprehensive dental care

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze the dentists’ (CDs) knowledge and experiences regarding leprosy in Cáceres-MT, and their contribution to the detection of new cases. Methods: A descriptive survey study was conducted with 60 CDs. An auto-applied questionnaire was used to collect variables related to professional background, knowledge, and professional experience related to leprosy. Logistic regression analysis was used with 95% confidence interval (IC). Results: Most CDs considered that their knowledge about leprosy was not sufficient, 43% of the CDs had already made referrals of suspected cases. The probability of a CD with more than 5 years working in Cáceres-MT to make referrals of suspected cases was 4 times greater than those with less professional experience (ORadjust = 4.39; IC 95%: 1.26-15.23). For professional specialists this probability was 7 times greater than that of non specialists (ORadjust = 7.73; IC 95%: 1.51-39.64). Conclusions: Almost half of the CDs in this sample had made referrals of suspected leprosy cases, mainly those with more than five years of working activity in the city or with any dental specialty training. However, the professional contribution has been scarce with isolated episodes because of limited specific knowledge of the disease. Key words: Leprosy; oral health; Public Health Dentistry; comprehensive dental care; epidemiology

Author Biographies

Denise da Costa Boamorte Cortela, SMS e UFMT

Cirurgiã-dentista, com especialidade em Odontopediatria e Saúde Coletiva. Mestre em Saúde Coletiva. Instituição: Secretaria Municipal de Saúde

Eliane Ignotti, UNEMAT e UFMT

Doutora em Saúde Coletiva Docente do Mestrado em Saúde Coletiva, Instituto de Saúde Coletiva (ISC), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá Docente do Departamento de Enfermagem Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Cáceres

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Published

2008-06-22

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Section

Original Article