This in vitro study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a CO₂ laser (10.6 µm) alone or combined with acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) on the inhibition of lesion progression in primary enamel. The specimens were treated with/without CO₂ laser and/or APF and submitted to pH cycling. Microhardness analysis was performed and the enamel mineral loss values were obtained. The groups treated with laser and/or APF presented lower mineral loss when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Laser irradiation alone or combined with APF decreased lesion progression in primary enamel. However, the combined treatment did not show any significant additional effect.

The present study investigated the distribution profile of dental caries and its association with areas of social deprivation at the individual and contextual level. The cluster sample consisted of 1,002 12-year-old schoolchildren from Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The DMFT Index was used for dental caries and the Care Index was used to determine access to dental services. On the individual level, variables were associated with a better oral status. On the contextual level, areas were not associated with oral status. However, maps enabled determining that the central districts have better social and oral conditions than the deprived outlying districts.

The dental health status of HIV-infected Portuguese patients was unsatisfactory and related to clinical, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the oral health of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) undergoing hemodialysis in Brazil. A dentist examined 160 subjects aged 40 to 85 years of age. Data was collected on dental caries, use of and need for dentures, oral mucosa, periodontal disease and temporomandibular joint status. All subjects were interviewed about their socioeconomic status, dental and medical history, and oral hygiene habits. Most subjects had hypertension (49.4%); used the public service for their medical care (69.4%); had a middle school educational level (83.1%); and did not complain of xerostomia (60.0%). The majority used private oral healthcare services and used a toothbrush only for oral hygiene. The mean DMFT was 26.0 (standard deviation 7.7). Most individuals did not wear dentures, but needed some type of prosthesis. Lesions of the oral mucosa (3.1%), signs (2.5%) and symptoms (3.8%) of temporomandibular dysfunction could be observed in only a few patients. The oral health of the subjects examined was poor. These persons needed their oral condition monitored by a dentist and their oral disease treated as well as receiving instruction on oral hygiene.