Background: Developed and developing countries are facing an obesity epidemic with various health consequences. Few studies have addressed the relationship between obesity and periodontal health. The present study assessed the association of overweight and obesity with periodontitis in Brazilian adults. Methods: A representative probability sample comprising 706 subjects aged 30 to 65 years from south Brazil was examined clinically and using a structured interview. Overweight and obesity were assessed by body mass index (BMI) using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Individuals with ≥30% teeth with attachment loss ≥5 mm were classified as having periodontitis. Statistical analysis accounted for survey design, and separate analyses were performed for non‐smokers. Results: In this population, 60% and 65% of males and females, respectively, were overweight or obese. Periodontitis was observed in 50.7% and 35.3% of males and females, respectively. The percentage of males with periodontitis was similar in the overweight/obese individuals compared to those with normal weight. In females, there was a positive correlation between the BMI index and the occurrence of periodontitis, with a significantly (P <0.05) higher prevalence of periodontitis in obese than in normal weight females. The multivariable analysis showed that obese females were significantly more likely (odds ratio = 2.1) to have periodontitis than normal weight females. A separate analysis for non‐smokers showed that obese females were approximately 3.4 times more likely to have periodontitis than the normal BMI group. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of periodontitis between BMI groups among smokers of both genders and in male non‐smokers. Conclusions: Obesity was significantly associated with periodontitis in adult, non‐smoker women. Overweight was not significantly associated with periodontitis. Smoking may attenuate the association of periodontitis with obesity.

The adjunctive use of azithromycin has the potential to improve periodontal health of young patients with AgP.

Halitosis is an unpleasant condition that causes social restraint. Studies worldwide indicate a high prevalence of moderate halitosis, whereas severe cases are restricted to around 5% of the populations. The etiological chain of halitosis relates to the presence of odoriferous substances in exhaled air, especially the volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) produced by bacteria. The organoleptic diagnosis is the gold standard and clinical management includes oral approaches, especially periodontal treatment and oral hygiene instructions, including the tongue. When oral strategies are not successful, referral to physicians is warranted.

A large proportion of this urban Brazilian sample was affected by PAL progression underscoring the need for health promotion initiatives aiming at preventing progression of destructive periodontal disease.

A decade has passed since we first reviewed the epidemiology of periodontal diseases in Latin America. At that time, lack of population-based studies was the norm and our conclusions were based on very limited evidence. The aim of the present comprehensive review was to update and expand our previous work by providing a broad overview of Latin America and its current social, economic and demographic status and by focusing on the epidemiology of periodontal diseases in Latin American adults published in the last 15 years. The amount of periodontal epidemiological data available has increased but is still restricted to a few countries only. The scope of the literature available has also broadened to include oral health-related quality of life and systemic interactions; however, most studies had methodological limitations that might have biased their results. In general, periodontitis was very prevalent, but severe periodontal destruction was localized. Besides being associated with well-established risk factors, periodontitis was associated with demographics and socio-economic factors in Latin American populations. To advance epidemiological knowledge, population-based cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, using appropriate methodologies, should be the future focus of the research agenda of researchers and public health planners in Latin American countries.

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Periodontal diseases are a group of infectious diseases that mainly include gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is the most prevalent form of periodontal disease in subjects of all ages, including children and adolescents. Less frequent types of periodontal disease include aggressive periodontitis, acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis and various diseases of herpesviral and fungal origin. This review aimed to retrieve relevant information from Latin America on the prevalence of periodontal diseases among children and adolescents of the region. Gingivitis was detected in 35% of young Latin American subjects and showed the highest frequencies in Colombia (77%) and Bolivia (73%) and the lowest frequency in Mexico (23%). The frequency of gingivitis in subjects from other Latin American countries was between 31% and 56%. Periodontitis may affect <10% of the young population in Latin America, but the data are based on only a few studies. A more precise assessment of the distribution and severity of periodontal disease in children and adolescents of Latin America may help policy makers and dentists to institute more effective public health measures to prevent and treat the disease at an early age to avoid major damage to the permanent dentition.

O processo ensino-aprendizagem para a formação de cirurgiões-dentistas fundamenta-se em diretrizes que corroboram a formação de profissionais reflexivos, humanísticos e críticos. Nessa perspectiva, objetiva-se, com a presente pesquisa, trabalhar as percepções de estudantes de uma faculdade de odontologia em relação à realização de estágios curriculares supervisionados no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Esta é uma pesquisa descritiva, desenvolvida com dados qualitativos, coletados por meio de questionários autoaplicados em 65 estudantes, e trabalhados segundo Análise de Conteúdo. Chegou-se a três temas estruturados nas seguintes categorias: explorando o desconhecido; iniciando a caminhada profissional; vivenciando as realidades no SUS. Os estudantes percebem diferentes processos de trabalho em saúde, apontam a importância do engajamento dos professores na supervisão dos estágios e percebem o SUS como um rico espaço de aprendizagem significativa para a formação em saúde.