Continuing education in OC and pre-cancerous lesions is important to reduce the professional delay. The findings of the present study also indicate that 58% of the patients are partially responsible for delay in the diagnosis of OC. Intensive public promotion and educational campaigns against OC are also needed to increase patient awareness.

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Objective: Provide evidence of HPV, C. trachomatis, and HSV infection in the oral cavity from patients with different types of stomatological lesions. Materials and Methods: Oral swabs samples were collected from a total of 318 patients. The infectious agents were analyzed using the PCR technique. HPV genotyping and HSV type were studied using the RFLP method. Results: We studied 137 benign lesions (B), 96 potentially malignant disorders (PMD) and 85 oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). The prevalence of HPV was 34%. The most frequently genotypes detected were 6 low risk and 16 high risk. The prevalence of C. trachomatis was 16% and HSV 3%. Co-infections were detected mostly in benign lesions as following: HPV-C. trachomatis in 4%, C. trachomatis-HSV in 1.8% and HPV-HSV in 0.3%. Conclusion: This report is the first contribution to the identification and genotype characterization of HPV in a scenario little studied in our area, and it also contributes to improving our understanding on sexually transmitted infectious agents and their associations with the oral cavity. Besides, we detect the presence of C. trachomatis and HSV and co-infection with HPV in the oral cavity, which they should be taken into account for diagnostic and treatment purposes.

The juxtaoral organ of Chievitz (JOOC) is a normal permanent anatomical structure located within the soft tissue overlying the angle of the mandible in the buccotemporal space. Although the sensory organ nature of JOOC, repeatedly mentioned in German publications, has been neglected in the last decade by the American anatomists and pathologists, we incidentally found JOOC-type squamous epithelium accompanied by Pacinian corpuscles. This fortuitous finding appears to be the first report of the authentic Paciniform nerve endings within JOOC, supporting its mechanosensory function.

Our understanding of dental plaque biofilm has evolved since the nonspecific plaque hypothesis that considered plaque as a nonspecific mass of native microorganisms that, because of lack of oral hygiene, builds up in proportions great enough to overcome the host resistance threshold and affect the tooth structure and tooth supporting tissues. A great diversity of microorganisms-over 700 species-was detected in the oral cavity, and evidence shows that the investigation of specific microorganisms or associations of microorganisms as etiological agents for periodontal diseases and caries is not a simplistic approach. Although clinical evidence shows that oral mechanical hygiene is fundamental to prevent and control caries and periodontal disease, it is important to highlight that optimal control is not achieved by most individuals. Thus the complementary use of chemotherapeutic agents has been investigated as a way to overcome the deficiencies of mechanical oral hygiene habits, insofar as they reduce both plaque formation and gingival inflammation, and represent a valid strategy to change the biofilm and maintain dental and periodontal health. The role of the dental professional is to monitor patients and offer them the best recommendations to preserve oral health throughout their life. With this in mind, chemical control should be indicated as part of daily oral hygiene, together with mechanical procedures, for all individuals who present supragingival and/or subgingival biofilm, taking into account age, physical and/or psychological limitations, allergies, and other factors.