Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

El Índice de Regularidad Internacional (IRI) ha sido un parámetro ampliamente utilizado para determinar las características superficiales que presentan los pavimentos. Recientemente, en Costa Rica, la Administración ha venido introduciendo la medición del IRI como parámetro de aceptación de diferentes obras viales; sin embargo, no ha sido posible lograr una adecuada implementación de este índice. El artículo presenta los principales detalles, cuidados y procedimientos involucrados en el cálculo del IRI, con la finalidad de que sean tomados en cuenta en la definición de especificaciones de aceptación de proyectos viales o evaluación de la red vial

This article is a report of the activities developed in the “Interdisciplinary Health Care Project” involving the population of Tacares, Grecia through five years of interaction in this field. The objective is to address the health-disease process from an integral perspective, as an alternative model of transdisciplinary work based on an educational strategy framework promoting health and disease prevention by controlling the risk factors. The community of Tacares; received a life-cycle approach by providing attention to the infant since before its birth through Prenatal Monitoring, and the “Healthy Child Control Program” offered by the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS) (Social Security Institute of Costa Rica); and, preschool children from the local Education and Nutrition Center were included. The attention to pre-school children who attend educational centers from Tacares Norte, Tacares Sur, and Cataluña (all these places in Grecia) has been systematized. Moreover, students of the University of Costa Rica, who have scholarships of levels 10 and 11 (the highest scholarship categories) received attention, as did those citizens that are covered by “The Orthodontic Community Program”, the senior citizens who attend daytime care centers, as well as those elders who reside in nursing homes. As a result of this interdisciplinary Project effort, several health fairs and other educational activities were developed for health promotion in the area of Tacares Sur. Some other activities were workshops to teach how to make holders for tooth brushes and dispensers of dental floss (made of burlap bags) by utilizing disposable plastic bottles, oral dental bacterial controls were taken into account for those who needed them, as well as instructions were provided for a more effective oral hygiene, laboratory analysis of drinkable water were carried out, risk factors for oral disease were identified, and some women were trained for self- breast testing for early detection of breast cancer. The offered attention included dental care in general, community orthodontics, periodontics and oral surgery.The project was conducted in collaboration with CCSS, MEP (Ministry of Public Education), Ministry of Health (Ministry of Public Health and Social Services), the ASADAS (water and sewer local Associations), all of them dedicated to setting up a health system based on the home, the community and the working environment through University communal work, under the Vice- Rectory of Social Action of the University of Costa Rica.

Given the rapid increase in the aged population of Costa Rica and the lack of new knowledge on the dental conditions of the elderly and other health determinants, a epidemiological study was carried out including 1566 persons older than 60 years in six municipalities of the Greater Metropolitan Area. The general results obtained were: a high 45% rate of edentulous, with a statistically positive difference (p=0,00001) en all municipalities. In women the edentulous rate is more severe, being statistically significant at a 90% confidence level. Elderly people in San Pedro de Montes de Oca were the ones maintaining a high number of their natural dental pieces. A high rate of 43% was found of root caries. The need for prosthesis was found in 55% of cases, together with a bad state of the prosthesis in those that have them, due to prolonged use. The main conclusion was that the aged population had a deteriorated buco-dental condition. A perceived lack of knowledge on buco-dental health among this population, gave origin to a second stage project directed at providing information on different topics related with this issue. In the second stage, 403 persons were involved belonging to the same geographical areas. The method used was based on applying different learning techniques. Such as videos, talks, dramatizations, etc. Two questionnaires were applied, one previous to and another a week after the two educational interventions. Topics included in the events were: eradicating myths on reasons for tooth loss, consequences of sleeping with dentures, and instructions on the correct way of brushing teeth and clearing of prosthesis. Other specific topics covered included: halitosis, exostomy, periodontal disease, nutrition, self-esteem and gastritis. It was found that the participating elderly persons were able to learn at their own speed which points out the need for a continuing (on- going) education on these matters. It was concluded as well, the difficulty of eliminating in this population certain strongly-held myths such as it been natural to loose their teeth in their old age.

Childhood cancer is becoming more frequent and it is a public health problem due the high rate of mortality and recurrence, although chemotherapy have improved substantially in recent years. This child population is susceptible to oral health problems such as cavities, dental extraction, and gingivitis, not for age related condition but also as a secondary effect of cancer treatment. Oral health in the cancer patient, under inmunosupression effects, takes a leading role in achieving progress and proper chemotherapy administration. Severe oral effects can compromise optimal treatment protocols and patient survival may be affected. The aim of the study was to identify present and past stages of dental caries, in addition to identifying the severity of caries in pediatric oncology patients. We performed a cross sectional study, 182 patients formed the sample at the Hematology-Oncology Service at Manuel Jesus Rivera Hospital, Managua, Nicaragua, during February to August 2011. The results show a DMF/T=7.37 teeth affected by dental caries, higher than the national average, for that age group. Severity of dental caries was categorized as Too Severe for permanent dentition on both sexes. We found a higher index DMF/T and dmf/t in patients receiving chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy.

Dental caries and periodontal disease are described as the main etiologic factors for tooth loss worldwide. This is the first epidemiologic study evaluating the reasons for tooth extraction in Costa Rica. Objectives: to determine the main reasons and to report the patterns for tooth extraction in the population under study. Materials and methods: all patients who where attended at the School of Dentistry at the University of Costa Rica between the years 2007 and the 2009 and that had the required information in their personal files were included. Each tooth extraction was classified in one of eight categories according to the reason for extraction and variables such as dental piece, sex and age of the patient were analyzed. Results: Women represented 52% of the total 2618 tooth extractions included. The average age was 36, 29±16,1. Dental caries was the main reason in 50% of the cases, periodontal disease in 17.8% and third molars in 17%. Women had their teeth extracted for elective treatments more than men, whereas men’s extractions were more related with disease reasons. For subjects over 50 years of age, periodontal disease became the main reason for extraction. Conclusion: Efforts directed at reducing the rate of dental extractions by disease must focus on further educating the Costa Rican population on dental caries and periodontal disease, and future studies should monitor the effect of these interventions through time.

In periodontics different regenerative techniques exist that can give good aesthetic result, nonetheless, resective surgery continues being a basic treatment which has an excellent clinical outcome. Crown lengthening is used to extend the clinical crown apically, and is probably the most used periodontal surgical technique in conjunction with restorative treatment. Extending the length of the crown by resecting periodontal tissue, improves the maintenance, esthetics, and restorative prognosis in teeth with subgingival fractures, subgingival cavities and where there is an invasion of the dentogingival complex.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the use of a disinfectant agent before the application of glass ionomer to dentin, affects its bond strength. 30 human teeth were embedded in acrylic and polished until mid-dentin was exposed. Glass ionomers used were: Vitremer (3M-ESPE), Ketac Molar (3M ESPE) y Fuji IX (GC America) (n=10). Half of the samples of each Group received Ultracid F (Ultradent products Inc.) for 20 before been washed with abundant water. Glass ionomer was applied after that. Samples were stored in water at 37o C for 7 days before been tested in shear in an universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.01 cm/min. Vitremer had bond strengths ranking from 4.8 to 5.2 MPa, Fuji IX from 3.3 to 3.5 and Ketac Molar from 2.5 to 2.6 MPa. No significant difference was found between bond strengths to dentin with and without the application of the cavity disinfectant.

The Papillon-Lefévre Syndrome is a rare syndrome that appears in 1 to 4 live births per millon. It is characterized by erythematous palmoplantar hyperkeratosis and agresive periodontal disease that affect both dentition and lead to the total loss of teeth at an in early age. The present article refers to the diagnosis of the syndrome in four sisters residents of Llano Grande de Cartago, the initial treatment took place at the Center of Specialities of Dentistry and Dermatology in the Calderon Guardia Hospital. The early identification of the syndrome plays an important role in prolonging the permanency of the teeth for a longer period in the oral cavity.

The aim of this study is to present an experience in which Problem Based Learning has been used as a didactic strategy in the teaching of Oral Pathology. The participants were ten third-year students of Dentistry at the University of Costa Rica, enrolled in the course on Principles of Diagnostic Sciences, a tutor and an external observer. This methodology is presented and the results obtained during the experience.

The professor of dentistry clinics differs from the one that teaches lessons in the classroom, but even the stage change, both of them are immerse in a learning teaching process. This articles aim to built a clinician’s teachers profile that could clarify big doubts about the theme beside this, the knowledge of the clinician’s teacher profile could allow knowing parameters through which a more effective and reliable performance can be assessed. Teacher evaluation is a necessary action within the process education - learning, not only for determining the quality of teaching but also as a criteria of reflec- tion for decision-making and a continuous improvement of educational endeavor. This article outlines a research to build an approximation of that profile by analyzing three sources as the basis of the information: the literature, the observation of teaching in the field work and data referenced by the VI year students through a survey. Data from this study will allow the reader reflect on the task of teaching clinic of Restoratives and inferring the results towards other disciplines of Dentistry which may prove useful to study their performance.