Oral health is essential for general health and well-being. Its deterioration affects the quality of life 1 and frequently requires dental care services that can be restrictive due to their high cost, affecting the family budget and health care systems. 2 Despite improvements in oral health observed in several countries in recent decades, oral diseases remain a significant public health problem recognized by

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In 2016, the new edition of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) Ethical Guidelines was released, which are universally acknowledged as ethical standards in biomedical research. In this article, we critically analyze the improvements and shortcomings of the CIOMS Ethical Guidelines 2016. Among the improvements are the relevance assigned to the social value of research and its effects on decision-making and the creation of public policies; the research development in low-resources scenarios; the communities’ involvement in the research process; the determination of participants’ vulnerability and changes on informed consent related proceedings. Despite the improved harmonization with scientific, technologic and social changes, and that the guidelines provide a tool for researchers and members of research ethics committees alike, some topics remain unsolved, namely the management of participants’ minimal risk and conflicts of interest involved in research, and the development of research in low-incomes scenarios. Nonetheless, we recognize that these new guidelines constitute a progress regarding the context and needs of populations in which research will be conducted, with greater community involvement in the different phases of the investigation project, thus allowing them to access the potential benefits. The impact of the CIOMS Ethical Guidelines 2016, should be appraised over time, particularly in socio-sanitary inequities scenarios and in the context of commercial interests of industry on biomedical research.

Oral health is essential for general health and well-being. However, oral diseases continue to be a global problem of public health as inequalities in oral health indicators between different social groups are increasing. 1 Inequalities in the number of remaining teeth between men and women have been reported. 2,3 Gender refers to the socially constructed norms that interact with biological sex to create and determine roles, relationships and position of power for all people throughout lifetime. 4 Gender is a