Saliva has become an important resource for evaluating physiological and pathological conditions in humans. The use of saliva has many advantages, including the simple and non-invasive method of collection and its easy, low-cost storage. With the addition of modern techniques and chemical instrumentation equipment, there has been an increase in its use for laboratory investigations, applicable for basic and clinical analyses in the fields of medicine and dentistry. The value of these methods for the diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases has been the subject of study by several researchers with the aim of increasing its use alongside complementary exams.

The knowledge of ergonomics postural requirements and their clinical application among the dental students surveyed were not satisfactory. The reasons for the learning difficulties encountered by the students should be identified to improve the learning process. The didactic use of digital images in this study may help in this endeavour.

The objectives of this article are to provide a short history of dentistry and dental education in Brazil and to analyze the nature of its development to date. The databases consulted are those provided by the Brazilian Federal Council of Dentistry, Brazilian Ministry of Health, Brazilian Ministry of Education, National Institute of Studies and Educational Research Anísio Teixeira, and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Formal dental education in Brazil started in the late nineteenth century with the creation of courses annexed to existing schools of medicine in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. Today, there are 191 institutions of higher education nationwide granting degrees in dentistry (137 private [71.7 percent] and ifty-four public [28.3 percent]), with a total of 17,157 student positions offered annually. These schools graduate around 10,000 professionals per year-one of the highest rates in the world. Both the distribution of schools of dentistry and of dentists varies among the regions of the country, with the greatest concentrations in major metropolitan centers with high population density, resulting in limited coverage in the more deprived regions. A review of epidemiological data for oral health and distribution of dentists in Brazil indicates that there is a lack of systematic planning for the allocation of the dental workforce and a lack of consideration of regional needs in the development of dental training programs in Brazil today.

Saúde da Família: o desafio de uma atenção coletiva

O avanço tecnológico na área odontológica vem permitindo a conquista de novos instrumentos e técnicas que simplificam o trabalho dos Cirurgiões-dentistas, entretanto deixa em segundo plano a relação da postura no trabalho diário, ocasionando, na maioria das vezes, problemas de saúde que interferem na atuação clínica. Considerando a grande importância que a ergonomia tem para o sucesso e o incremento das ações desenvolvidas durante o atendimento odontológico, este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar e discutir as normas e diretrizes ergonômicas existentes na área odontológica relacionadas especificamente à postura de trabalho bem como os estudos recentes nesse campo. Sabe-se que a consolidação e a aplicação de princípios ergonômicos que identifiquem, apontem e modifiquem as inadequações posturais se fazem necessárias sendo uma maneira eficaz de se garantir a salubridade, segurança, alto desempenho, motivação e a satisfação na prática odontológica.