This study investigated 84 patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS), who were asked to complete a hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale questionnaire. A control group of 69 patients was also included. All patients were interviewed regarding parafunctional habits and were subjectively examined for signs of occlusal wear of the natural teeth or dentures. The results demonstrated that parafunctional habits were present in 61% of patients with BMS. There was a statistically significantly relationship between parafunctional habits and anxiety as indicated by the HAD scale, but not with depression.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare but potentially fatal autoimmune bullous disorder which frequently affects the oral mucosa. Although the essential cause of PV is unclear, its onset has occasionally been associated with drug therapy, in particular penicillamine. The patient described in this paper was a 78-year-old diabetic man who developed oral lesions of PV following institution of glibenclamide therapy.

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Oral disease continues to be a public health burden, affecting almost half of the global population, and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities.1 Development organisations use different approaches to tackle this through short-term volunteering programmes in low- and middle-income countries, to address oral health needs in a variety of ways. There is evidence that volunteering requires a high level of cultural competence to avoid negatively impacting on local healthcare systems.2-4 The oral health care needs of communities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) differ markedly from those in the developed world, posing challenges for volunteering organisations to provide effective programmes in circumstances where there is a lack of resources, equipment and infrastructure.

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My chosen word for today is performance. A performance is a presentation – usually, but not always – presented to an audience. A performance can be a theatrical presentation, a discursive presentation, and/or a ritual which becomes a presentation when the possible positional roles of an audience are acknowledged by the performer or performers. A performance can also refer to an obligation – an obligation to either challenge audience expectations or else simply satisfy or fulfil those expectations. The obligatory meaning of the word performance can also refer to a more intimate performer/audience situation – for example; student and teacher, or, in some cases, prostitute and client. Performance can indeed refer to forms and instances of role-play – sexual, psychological, et cetera, including combinations.

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