A doença por coronavírus (COVID-19) surgiu na China no final de 2019, disseminando-se rapidamente por mais de 200 países.  Devido às características dos ambientes e procedimentos odontológicos, há um maior risco de infecção cruzada entre a equipe de saúde bucal e os usuários desse serviço. Para consultórios odontológicos, escolas de Odontologia e seus hospitais associados, localizados em áreas que são (potencialmente) afetadas pela COVID-19, protocolos rigorosos e eficazes de controle de infecção estão sendo urgentemente desenvolvidos pelas agências reguladoras competentes, tanto a nível nacional, quanto internacional. Além disso, a pandemia teve um impacto imediato e dramático na educação odontológica, visto que nesse momento as instituições estão à frente do desafio de reorganizar sua infraestrutura e seus métodos de ensino para encarar as possíveis consequências dessa nova realidade, preservando e fomentando o progresso contínuo de seus futuros profissionais. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste estudo é apresentar importantes informações relacionadas à nova síndrome respiratória aguda por coronavírus-2 e seu impacto na Odontologia, abordando as principais orientações de biossegurança que devem ser adotadas nos atendimentos clínicos, bem como discutir as mudanças no ensino odontológico brasileiro frente à pandemia de COVID-19.

Aim The aim of this study is to assess whether anxiety symptoms are associated with alcohol abuse in Brazilian undergraduate dental students during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Method A cross‐sectional study was conducted. A semi‐structured questionnaire addressing the variables of interest was hosted on Google Forms and shared with dental undergraduate students from all Brazilian regions between July 8 and 27, 2020. Alcohol abuse was measured using the Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye opener (CAGE) questionnaire score of ≥2. All participants responded to the seven‐item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD‐7). Hierarchical logistic regression was also conducted. Results Among the 1050 students evaluated, 18.7% ( n = 196) had a positive screening for alcohol abuse during the pandemic. The prevalence of mild (GAD‐7 = 5–9), moderate (GAD‐7 = 10–14), and severe (GAD‐7 ≥15) anxiety among students were 31.3%, 29.6%, and 24.2%, respectively. The final hierarchical logistic regression model showed that during the COVID‐19 pandemic, anxiety levels predict the likelihood of alcohol abuse among students with moderate (OR 10.05 [95% IC: 4.12–24.52]) or severe (OR 15.82 [95% IC: 6.46–38.73]) anxiety, especially for male students (moderate anxiety: OR 17.06 [95% CI: 8.36–34.78]; severe anxiety: OR 28.38 [95% CI: 8.62–38.24]). Conclusion The prevalence of alcohol abuse and moderate or severe anxiety in Brazilian undergraduate dental students during the COVID‐19 pandemic was high. Male students may be more sensitive to the presence of anxiety symptoms in this period, thus contributing to higher levels of alcohol consumption, in comparison to female students. Intervention strategies that promote the adoption of healthier lifestyles can enable the effective management of anxiety symptoms during the pandemic and thus, hold the potential to reduce exacerbated alcohol intake in this population.

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of Brazilian dental students about biosafety measures that should be adopted in the clinical setting during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 1,050 dental students was conducted. A semi-structured questionnaire was shared with students. Mean knowledge score on biosafety guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic was the outcome, with a maximum of 8 scores. Explanatory variables included sociodemographic and educational characteristics, aspects related to biosafety education, actions adopted by the dental schools during the pandemic, and sources of biosafety information. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Mean knowledge score was 5.19 (1.28). Female students (β=0.346; 95%CI:0.154–0.539), those enrolled in the intermediate (β=0.525; 95%CI:0.167–0.883) or final (β=0.569; 95%CI:0.200–0.937) stage of course, and those who had already received theoretical-practical training in biosafety (β=0.464; 95%CI:0.063–0.866) presented higher mean knowledge scores. Students who did not receive guidance on aerosol control measures before the pandemic (β=-0.324; 95%CI:-0.519–-0.130) had the lowest score. Conclusion: Students presented a medium level of knowledge about dental biosafety measures in the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic characteristics and those related to the institutional profile of the participants, and access to orientation and training in biosafety may influence their knowledge.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between ultra‐processed food (UPF) consumption and dental caries in adolescents.MethodsData from 996 adolescents aged 12–13 years who participated in an oral health sub‐study of the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort in southern Brazil were analysed. The main exposure was daily UPF consumption at age 10–11 years, measured by a food frequency questionnaire containing 24 UPF items defined based on the NOVA system. UPF consumption was calculated in frequency, grams and calories, in general and for six types of food (biscuits, savoury snacks and sugar‐sweetened cereals; ultra‐processed meats and fats; sweets; fast food and instant noodles; soft drinks and artificially flavoured drinks; and sweetened milk and powdered chocolate). The outcome was dental caries, measured according to the decayed, missing and filled indexes (DMFS and dmfs) at age 12–13 years. Poisson regression models were used to analyse the association between UPF consumption and dental caries, adjusting for socioeconomic and demographic variables, dental visits and oral hygiene.ResultsOverall, the daily UPF consumption in frequency, grams and calories was associated with caries. The findings were consistent for UPF consumption for all six food groups. The higher the UPF consumption, the higher the probability of having caries in adolescence. The associations between ultra‐processed meats and fats, and fast food and instant noodles intake with dental caries alert to the cariogenic potential of such UPF foods.ConclusionUltra‐processed food consumption was associated with greater caries burdens in young adolescents. The findings reinforce the need for interventions and public policies to reduce UPF consumption in adolescence.

Objetivo: Analisar fatores associados à redução de atendimentos odontológicos na Atenção Primária à Saúde, durante pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil. Métodos: Estudo transversal, com cirurgiões-dentistas das unidades básicas de saúde (UBS). O desfecho foi a redução dos atendimentos odontológicos, e as variáveis de exposição, dados sociodemográficos, disponibilidade de equipamentos de proteção individual (EPIs) e medidas adotadas pela UBS na pandemia. Realizou-se regressão de Poisson para determinar razão de prevalências e intervalo de confiança de 95%. Resultados: A redução de atendimentos acima de 50% após o início da pandemia foi relatada por 62,6% dos 958 participantes. Adoção de protocolos de biossegurança (RP=1,04 – IC95% 1,01;1,07), disponibilidade de EPI preconizados por novos protocolos (RP=0,94 – IC95% 0,89;0,99) e adoção da teletriagem (RP=0,90 – IC95% 0,85;0,96) estiveram associados à redução. Conclusão: A disponibilização dos novos EPIs e a implementação da teletriagem nas UBS parecem ter minimizado a redução dos atendimentos odontológicos após o início da pandemia.