Autopercepção das condições periodontais em pacientes com câncer: associação com níveis de estresse percebido e ansiedade odontológica

Abstract

In the last decade, many advances have been made in cancer treatment strategies. However, antineoplastic therapeutic modalities can still result in the individual's physical, social and psychological impairment. Cancer treatment has a deleterious effect on the patient's general health, debilitating him and possibly causing other comorbidities secondary to the underlying disease. These pathological ramifications that occur concomitantly with the treatment can generate emotional disorders at different levels of depression and anxiety. The aim of this study was to evaluate, through questionnaires, self-perception of periodontal status, oral health, as well as perceived stress and levels of dental anxiety in patients undergoing cancer treatment at a hospital in southern Brazil. In this study, 60 patients undergoing cancer treatment at the Teaching Hospital (HE) of the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) were interviewed between February and March 2020, through questionnaires containing multiple-choice questions. The results revealed that most of the sample presented a positive perception regarding periodontal condition and satisfaction with oral health. In addition, male gender, age, and self-reported non-white individuals were significantly associated with a history of periodontal disease. Likewise, marital status and perceived stress were also significantly associated with the dentist's diagnosis of periodontal disease and the history of periodontal disease, respectively. Dental anxiety levels were low in most participants. However, dental evaluation prior to cancer treatment was not a predominant condition in the evaluated sample.