Fagundes Nathalia Carolina Fernandes, da Rosa Moreira Bastos Renata Travassos, Perez Arnaldo, Flores-Mir Carlos, Normando David
Department of Orthodontics, Post-Graduation Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil.
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Orthod Craniofac Res. 2024 Oct 10. doi: 10.1111/ocr.12866.
To explore orthodontists' (OTs) and paediatric dentists' (PDs) practices and perceptions regarding the screening and management of paediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
This explanatory sequential mixed methods design included OTs and PDs with active clinical practice in Brazil and encompassed a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. In the quantitative phase, a survey assessing OSA screening and management practices was administered to OTs and PDs practicing in Brazil. Information-rich OTs and PDs were interviewed in the qualitative phase. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square test were used to analyse the survey data, while inductive content analysis was applied to the interview data. The results from both phases were integrated and reported narratively.
Three hundred eighty-one OTs and PDs completed the survey, and ten of them were interviewed. Nearly half of OTs and PDs administered sleep questionnaires and demonstrated some knowledge about paediatric OSA signs and symptoms. PDs and OTs primarily offered rapid maxillary expansion and functional mandibular advancement for managing selected children with OSA, with OTs being more frequently involved in this task than PDs. OTs and PDs identified several barriers and expressed the need for support regarding access to reliable screening tools and interprofessional care.
Brazilian OTs and PDs were aware of the main signs and symptoms of paediatric OSA and were somewhat involved in offering oral appliance management options. To further define the role of these professionals, increasing support for dental professionals in OSA management and updating existing clinical guidelines is warranted.
探讨正畸医生（OTs）和儿科牙医（PDs）在儿童阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（OSA）筛查和管理方面的实践及看法。
本解释性序贯混合方法设计纳入了在巴西积极从事临床工作的正畸医生和儿科牙医，包括一个定量阶段和随后的定性阶段。在定量阶段，对在巴西执业的正畸医生和儿科牙医进行了一项评估OSA筛查和管理实践的调查。在定性阶段，对信息丰富的正畸医生和儿科牙医进行了访谈。描述性统计和卡方检验用于分析调查数据，归纳性内容分析应用于访谈数据。两个阶段的结果进行整合并以叙述形式报告。
381名正畸医生和儿科牙医完成了调查，其中10人接受了访谈。近一半的正畸医生和儿科牙医发放睡眠问卷，并对儿童OSA的体征和症状有一定了解。儿科牙医和正畸医生主要为选定的OSA儿童提供快速上颌扩弓和功能性下颌前伸治疗，正畸医生比儿科牙医更频繁地参与这项工作。正畸医生和儿科牙医识别出了几个障碍，并表示在获取可靠的筛查工具和跨专业护理方面需要支持。
巴西的正畸医生和儿科牙医了解儿童OSA的主要体征和症状，并在一定程度上参与提供口腔矫治器管理方案。为进一步明确这些专业人员的作用，有必要加强对牙科专业人员在OSA管理方面的支持，并更新现有的临床指南。
