Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dental fear in preschool children and to estimate its association with maternal and children characteristics. Methods: The study was nested in a population-based birth cohort from Pelotas, Brazil, started in 2004. A sample of 1,129 children aged 5 years was dentally examined, and their mothers were interviewed. Dental fear was investigated using a validated instrument through the question ‘Do you think that your child is afraid of going to the dentist?'. The possible answers were (1) ‘no', (2) ‘yes, a little', (3) ‘yes' and (4) ‘yes, a lot'. The outcome was dichotomized as ‘children without dental fear' (answers 1 and 2) and ‘children with dental fear' (answers 3 and 4). Exploratory variables included demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, maternal oral health status and maternal behaviors. The main explanatory variables were caries and dental pain. Data were analyzed using multivariable Poisson regression. Results: The prevalence of dental fear was 16.8% (95% confidence interval 14.6-19.0). Multivariate analysis showed that the lower the family income at birth and the higher the severity of dental caries, the higher the prevalence of dental fear. Children who never visited the dentist and those who frequently experienced dental pain were positively associated with higher dental fear prevalence. Conclusions: Presence of dental caries and dental pain were associated with dental fear regardless of socioeconomic origin and lack of dental service use in childhood.

The aim of this study was to explore the association between negative experiences during children's first dental visit and any subsequent dental anxiety and related factors in three dental clinics in the Veneto Region of Italy. For this purpose, parents of 378 children filled out a questionnaire. Factors related to child dental anxiety (none-some/fairly much-very much) were explored by means of logistic regression analysis. The independent variables were: problems with tht first dental visit (no/yes), parental dental anxiety (none-some/fairly much-very much), number of previous visits (0-3/4 < or =) site visited (public/private) and age of the child (< 10 years/10 < or = years). Parental anxiety was associated with child's anxiety (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.1-4.9). A problematic first visit was a strong predictor of dental anxiety. However, this effect was modified by the number of subsequent visits. Children with 4 or more visits after the first visit were less likely to be anxious after a problematic first visit (OR = 4.6, 95% CI = 1.5-14.1) than children with 3 visits or less after the first visit (OR = 19.8, 95% CI = 7.2-54.5). Thus, the negative effect of a problematic first visit may fade during subsequent dental visits.

BackgroundThe Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) is the most commonly used indicator of child oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and its validity and reliability have been studied both in English and in other linguistic contexts. The aim of this study was to develop a CPQ11-14 for use in Italy and to test its validity in a random sample of fourteen year-old Italian adolescents.MethodsOnce the CPQ11-14was translated into Italian and adapted for an Italian public, five hundred sixty-one adolescents were recruited for testing. Parents rated their social status; the children/adolescents were administered the questionnaire and underwent a dental examination during which their dental status was taken and recorded. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the questionnaire’s internal consistency. Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated to assess construct validity between the total and subscale scores and the respondents’ global ratings on oral health and well-being. Discriminant validity was analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis or Mann–Whitney tests in groups defined by gender, social position, caries experience and previous or no orthodontic treatment.ResultsThe mean score on the CPQ11-14 was 15.4 (SD=11.9), and the scores on all the domains were found to be highly skewed. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.85 to 0.90. The global ratings on oral health and well-being were correlated to the total score and to the sub-scores except for those regarding the functional limitations. There were significant differences in the two genders, in the groups that had already or had not yet undergone orthodontic treatment, and in the social classification groups, while the difference between those who had and those who did not have caries experience did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionsThe Italian version of the CPQ11-14 appears to be a reliable, valid instrument for Italian children/adolescents.

Goal: The purpose of this paper is to present a proposal of steps for the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the industrial context, considering management and operational aspects. The reason is to discuss that technological change is accompanied by many organizational implications, in which it is perceivable that some companies already experience strategic and operational turbulence due to the lack of understanding of the this structure’s complexity. Design / Methodology / Approach: This study assumes an exploratory character because the subject of analysis is still in the knowledge-structuring phase. In this sense, data was collected from the literature review. Results: A theoretical proposal for the Industry 4.0 implementation framework is presented in flow format. It is organized in steps that cover the strategic and operational aspects during the implementation flow. Limitations of the investigation: The limitations of this study are directly related to its theoretical nature and the difficulty of finding tools that help in the execution of each proposed stage. Practical implications: However, based on theoretical insights, a trajectory of a transformation model is proposed, thus this research intends to show clearly and direct how companies can introduce the aspects of Industry 4.0 to their own benefit. Originality / Value: In this study, a conceptual model is structured, and it indicates a potential of application because it contributes to support and encourage the adoption of technologies and concepts indicated in the Industry 4.0 literature in a structured way.

No abstract