Brazilian Dentistry is Among the Best in the World. Is it True?

It is common to hear the assertion that Brazil’s dentistry is one the best in the world or that Brazil has the best dentists. These statements are based, in part, on the total number of scientific dentistry manuscripts produced in Brazil and on extrapolating the ranking of Brazilian faculty/courses compared to others in the world, which also uses the number of article publications produced by each institution as a parameter. Therefore, Dentistry in Brazil is among the best in the world, as this is a direct metric: more publications must be at the forefront of knowledge, and this transfers to classrooms and clinics where future dentists in training are learning dentistry. The result, in the end, should be better oral health for Brazilians

Decolonialidade e pesquisas narrativas: contribuições para a Psicologia Comunitária

Esse artigo intencionou localizar aproximações entre as pesquisas narrativas (auto)biográficas e a Psicologia Social Comunitária. Foi possível construir um encontro esses campos haja vista a produção de uma indeterminidade entre o sujeito e a sociedade que ambos sustentam como referência epistêmica. O que implica alguns cuidados ético-políticos na análise-intervenção psicossocial das narrativas no âmbito comunitário. Ademais, reconhece-se que os efeitos da colonização latina ainda nutrem lugares de enunciação muito distintos para alguns sujeitos marcados pela diferença/desigualdade colonial na sociedade brasileira. O que requer o testemunho e ação de interlocutores que possam constituir um campo simbólico que interpele a narrativa da desigualdade para que ela possa se abrir para novas significações, rompendo com o local do subalternizado, apenas, como vitimização. É fundamental, portanto, que não totalizemos o incômodo que alguns relatos narrativos dos subalternos provocam; mas, devemos valorizar, eticamente, não sem autocríticas, os deslocamentos que eles proporcionam às narrativas comunitárias tradicionai

Decolonialidade e pesquisas narrativas: contribuições para a Psicologia Comunitária

Esse artigo intencionou localizar aproximações entre as pesquisas narrativas (auto)biográficas e a Psicologia Social Comunitária. Foi possível construir um encontro esses campos haja vista a produção de uma indeterminidade entre o sujeito e a sociedade que ambos sustentam como referência epistêmica. O que implica alguns cuidados ético-políticos na análise-intervenção psicossocial das narrativas no âmbito comunitário. Ademais, reconhece-se que os efeitos da colonização latina ainda nutrem lugares de enunciação muito distintos para alguns sujeitos marcados pela diferença/desigualdade colonial na sociedade brasileira. O que requer o testemunho e ação de interlocutores que possam constituir um campo simbólico que interpele a narrativa da desigualdade para que ela possa se abrir para novas significações, rompendo com o local do subalternizado, apenas, como vitimização. É fundamental, portanto, que não totalizemos o incômodo que alguns relatos narrativos dos subalternos provocam; mas, devemos valorizar, eticamente, não sem autocríticas, os deslocamentos que eles proporcionam às narrativas comunitárias tradicionai

COVID-19-related challenges in dental education: experiences from Australia, Brazil, and the USA

Aim: To describe the management of dental education in three dental schools during the COVID-19 crisis. Methods: Adopted strategies in the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Brazil, University of Pittsburgh (UP), USA, and Griffith University (GU), Australia were detailed. Results: In the UFPB, all on-site teaching was suspended, and resources for distance learning set up as a supplementary semester to be available as face to face classes later. A protocol for clinical care followed safety measures recommended by Brazilian official health institutions. The adequacy of the physical structure, human resources, and personal protective equipment (PPE) acquisition for the return to clinical activities are currently under discussion. In the UP, learning activities were shifted to virtual teaching using lecture recordings and live sections. All elective patients care was postponed. Urgent dental cases were discussed via teledentistry. The physical layout of the dental clinics and pre-clinical laboratories were changed, allowing a safe distance between students. In the GU, all clinical and pre-clinical activities were cancelled, and theoretical activities were maintained online for all students. Several clinically based scenarios where created and delivered in the format of online problem-based learning. The reception area was redesigned, ensuring social distancing. Safety measures follow the Australia Dental Association. Conclusions: Dealing with dental education depends on the stage of the epidemic and the characteristics of each country

Causa mortis em usuários de crack

OBJECTIVE: The study accompanied 131 crack-cocaine users over a 5-year period, and examined mortality patterns, as well as the causes of death among them. METHOD: All patients admitted to a detoxification unit in São Paulo between 1992 and 1994 were interviewed during two follow-up periods: 1995-1996 and 1998-1999. RESULTS: After 5 years, 124 patients were localized (95%). By the study endpoint (1999), 23 patients (17.6%) had died. Homicide was the most prevalent cause of death (n = 13). Almost one third of the deaths were due to the HIV infection, especially among those with a history of intravenous drug use. Less than 10% died from overdose. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that the mortality risk among crack cocaine users is greater than that seen in the general population, being homicide and AIDS the most common causes of death among such individuals.OBJETIVO: O estudo acompanhou, por cinco anos, um grupo de 131 usuários de crack e observou os padrões de mortalidade, bem como as causas mortis entre esses. MÉTODO: Todos os pacientes que se internaram em um serviço de desintoxicação, localizado no município de São Paulo, entre 1992-1994 foram entrevistados em duas ocasiões: 1995-1996 e 1998-1999. RESULTADOS: Após cinco anos, 124 pacientes foram localizados (95%). Vinte e três pacientes (17,6%) haviam morrido ao final do quinto ano de seguimento, sendo os homicídios a causa mortis mais prevalente (n = 13). Quase um terço dos pacientes morreu devido à infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida (HIV), especialmente aqueles com antecedentes pessoais de uso de drogas endovenosas. Menos de 10% dos pacientes morreu de overdose. CONCLUSÕES: O estudo sugere que os usuários de crack têm maior risco de morte do que a população geral, sendo os homicídios e a AIDS as causas mais observadas.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of Psychiatry Unidade de Pesquisa em Álcool e DrogasCamden & Islington Mental Health & Social Care Trust North Camden Drug ServiceGrupo Interdepartamental de Epidemiologia ClínicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESP, Department of Psychiatry Unidade de Pesquisa em Álcool e DrogasUNIFESPSciEL

Atividade antifúngica de Cimentos de Ionômero de Vidro puros e associados à Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Considerando a importância da atividade antimicrobiana dos materiais restauradores odontológicos, objetivou-se verificar a atividade antifúngica in vitro de Cimentos de Ionômero de Vidro (CIV) puros, associados a nistatina e ao óleo essencial de Cinnamomum zeylanicum (canela) sobre Candida albicans (ATCC 289065). Foram avaliados Vitro Fil®, Maxxion R® e Vitro Cem®. A inibição do crescimento fúngico foi dada pela medição do diâmetro dos halos de inibição nos testes de difusão em meio de cultura sólido. Os CIV foram manipulados de acordo com as orientações dos fabricantes e inseridos em poços, confeccionados no meio de cultura, com 6 mm de diâmetro com o auxílio do sistema Centrix (DFL®). Quando preparadas as associações, as substâncias sintética e natural foram adicionadas ao Cimento de Ionômero de Vidro no momento da manipulação. As placas de Petri foram armazenadas em estufa a 37ºC, sob condições ideais de CO2, durante 48h e posteriormente foi feita a leitura dos resultados com auxílio de um paquímetro. O estudo foi realizado em triplicata e os dados foram analisados a partir do teste de Friedman, seguido de pós-teste de Dunns. Frente a cepa de Candida albicans, houve inibição do crescimento fúngico na maioria das associações, exceto quando o Vitro Fil® foi associado a emulsão do óleo essencial da canela (Cinnamomum zeylanicum).

TiF4 varnish protects the retention of brackets to enamel after in vitro mild erosive challenge

The effect of fluoride agents on the retention of orthodontic brackets to enamel under erosive challenge is little investigated. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4) and sodium fluoride (NaF) agents on the shear bond strength of brackets to enamel and on the enamel microhardness around brackets under erosive challenge. Methods: Brackets were bonded to bovine incisors. Five groups were formed according to fluoride application (n=10): TiF4 varnish, TiF4 solution, NaF varnish, NaF solution and control (without application). The specimens were submitted to erosive challenge (90 s cola drink/2h artificial saliva, 4x per day for 7 days). Solutions were applied before each erosive cycle and varnishes were applied once. Vickers Microhardness (VHN) was obtained before and after all cycles of erosion and the percentage of microhardness loss was calculated. Shear bond strength, adhesive remnant index and polarized light microscopy were conducted after erosion. The data were analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests (α=0.05). Results: The %VHN had no statistically significant differences among the experimental groups. However, considering the comparisons of all groups with the control group, TiF4 varnish showed the highest protection from enamel demineralization (effect size of 2.94, while the effect size for the other groups was >2.4). The TiF4 varnish group had significantly higher shear bond strength compared to other groups. There was no difference among groups for adhesive remnant index. Polarized light microscopy showed higher demineralization depth for the control group. Conclusions: Application of NaF and TiF4 agents during mild erosive challenge minimized the enamel mineral loss around brackets, however only the experimental TiF4 varnish was able to prevent the reduction of shear bond strength of brackets to enamel.

TiF 4 varnish protects the retention of brackets to enamel after in vitro mild erosive challenge

The effect of fluoride agents on the retention of orthodontic brackets to enamel under erosive challenge is little investigated. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of titanium tetrafluoride (TiF<i>4</i>) and sodium fluoride (NaF) agents on the shear bond strength of brackets to enamel and on the enamel microhardness around brackets under erosive challenge. Methods: Brackets were bonded to bovine incisors. Five groups were formed according to fluoride application (n=10): TiF<i>4</i> varnish, TiF<i>4</i> solution, NaF varnish, NaF solution and control (without application). The specimens were submitted to erosive challenge (90 s cola drink/2h artificial saliva, 4x per day for 7 days). Solutions were applied before each erosive cycle and varnishes were applied once. Vickers Microhardness (VHN) was obtained before and after all cycles of erosion and the percentage of microhardness loss was calculated. Shear bond strength, adhesive remnant index and polarized light microscopy were conducted after erosion. The data were analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests (α=0.05). Results: The %VHN had no statistically significant differences among the experimental groups. However, considering the comparisons of all groups with the control group, TiF<i>4</i> varnish showed the highest protection from enamel demineralization (effect size of 2.94, while the effect size for the other groups was >2.4). The TiF<i>4</i> varnish group had significantly higher shear bond strength compared to other groups. There was no difference among groups for adhesive remnant index. Polarized light microscopy showed higher demineralization depth for the control group. Conclusions: Application of NaF and TiF<i>4</i> agents during mild erosive challenge minimized the enamel mineral loss around brackets, however only the experimental TiF<i>4</i> varnish was able to prevent the reduction of shear bond strength of brackets to enamel

Perillyl alcohol has antibacterial effects and reduces ROS production in macrophages

Natural products have emerged as a rich source of bioactive compounds for adjunctive treatments of many infectious and inflammatory conditions, including periodontitis. Among the monoterpenes with significant biological properties, there is the perillyl alcohol (POH), which can be found in several essential oils and has shown immunomodulatory properties in recent studies, which may be interesting in the treatment of non-neoplastic inflammatory disorders. Objective: To determine the antibacterial and immune modulatory activities of the POH. Methodology: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the POH for two significant Gram-negative periodontal pathogens were determined by macrodilution and subculture, respectively. Cell proliferation and cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 macrophages were determined by Trypan Blue and mitochondrial enzymatic activity assay. The modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was analyzed by flow cytometry and expression of TNF and arginase-1 by real-time PCR. Results: The POH was effective against P. gingivalis (ATCC 33277) and F. nucleatum (ATCC 25586) with MIC= MBC=1600 μM. No cytotoxicity up to 100 µM was observed on macrophages. The cell proliferation was inhibited from 48 hours at 100 μM (p<0.05) and 250 μM (p<0.01). The POH increased ROS production at both 10 μM and 100 μM (p<0.05) in unstimulated cells. The PMA-induced ROS production was not affected by POH, whereas 100 μM significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced (LPS-induced) ROS. The expression of TNF was not affected by POH in unstimulated cells or in cells polarized to M1 phenotype, whereas both concentrations of POH reduced (p<0.05) the expression of arginase-1 in M2-polarized macrophages. Conclusion: The POH has antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens and reduced proliferation of murine macrophages without significant cytotoxicity at concentrations up to 100 μM. In addition, the POH reduced the LPS-induced ROS and the expression of arginase-1 in M2-polarized macrophages