The maintenance of oral health is a crucial aspect of general well-being; however, a significant proportion of the worldwide population experiences a range of oral diseases. Dental caries is a highly prevalent non-communicable disease globally, especially in children and adolescents. Fluoride is involved in the control of dental caries, primarily by decreasing the critical pH for dental hard tissue dissolution and decreasing enamel solubility. Due to the substantial data supporting the efficacy of fluoride in controlling dental caries, many community-level fluoridation initiatives have been devised and executed as global public health preventive interventions. These initiatives encompass the fluoridation of water, salt, and milk. Water fluoridation is considered safe and effective when fluoride levels are maintained within the recommended range (0.6 to 1.1 mg/L). Salt fluoridation has a cariostatic potential similar to that of water fluoridation, and a fluoride concentration of 250 micrograms per gram in salt is not associated with an increased risk of developing dental fluorosis. However, there is currently an effort to reduce the consumption of table salt in order to mitigate the harmful effects of excessive salt consumption. It has been hypothesized that fluoride food supplementation, such as fluoridated milk, is associated with a decrease in caries experience in permanent teeth; however, the effect is not clear in primary teeth. Public-level fluoride interventions are more cost-effective than the operative care of caries lesions and limit the burden of care. The administration of fluorides should be conducted using safe methods, limiting ingestion, and adhering to the guidelines set by international and national health agencies in each country. This is particularly important when considering children with developing dentitions. Fluoride is an important tool in the control of dental caries, but it is crucial to combine it with good oral hygiene, a healthy diet, and regular visits to a dental professional to maintain long-term oral health.

Periodic toothbrushing is the most common, effective, and reliable way to mechanically remove biofilm from oral tissues. The objective of the present study was to determine the association between toothbrushing frequency and socioeconomic position for schoolchildren between 6 and 12 years of age in four cities in Mexico. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 Mexican schoolchildren between 6 and 12 years of age from public schools in four Mexican cities. Questionnaires were administered to the parents/guardians of the schoolchildren to obtain the variables included in the study. The dependent variable was toothbrushing frequency, dichotomized as: 0 = less than twice a day and 1 = at least twice a day. The analysis was performed in Stata. The average age of the schoolchildren was 8.9 ± 1.9 years; 50.4% were female. The prevalence of toothbrushing was 52.8% (at least twice a day) (95% CI = 48.4−57.1). In the multivariate model, the variables associated (p < 0.05) with toothbrushing frequency were older age of the schoolchild (OR = 1.14); younger age of the mother (OR = 0.93); being a girl (OR = 1.70); being enrolled in Seguro Popular (OR = 0.69); being in a household that was owned (OR = 2.43); and being a schoolchild who lived in a home that owned a car (OR = 1.31). The prevalence of toothbrushing at least twice a day was just over 50% in these Mexican children. We found demographic and socioeconomic variables to be associated with toothbrushing. Based on socioeconomic variables that were associated with toothbrushing frequency—such as health insurance, home ownership and the household owning a car—the results of the present study confirm the existence of health inequalities in toothbrushing frequency.

Background: Dental pain is a significant public health issue globally and in Mexico, with substantial negative impacts on affected individuals. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental pain and its association with clinical, sociodemographic, and socioeconomic risk indicators in schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years in four cities in Mexico. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 children attending public schools in the cities of Pachuca, Tepatitlán, Toluca, and San Luis Potosí. A questionnaire was applied, and a clinical examination was performed on the schoolchildren. Self-reported dental pain within the 12 months preceding the study, categorized as 0 (no pain) and 1 (pain), was used as the dependent variable. For the statistical analysis, the Stata program was used, where a multivariate binary logistic regression model was applied. Results: The mean age was 8.92 ± 1.99 years; 50% were girls. The prevalence of dental pain was 34.0%. Independent variables associated (p < 0.05) with the experience of dental pain were as follows: age (OR = 0.81), having a car at home (OR = 0.77), a lower socioeconomic position (OR = 2.03), curative or specialized dental care (OR = 8.40), and self-reported dental and/or gingival disease (OR = 5.39). Conclusions: Dental pain is a significant health problem in schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years in Mexico, with a prevalence of 34% in this study. Sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, as well as clinical indicators, play an important role in the experience of dental pain. Inequalities in oral health were observed. There is a need for public health interventions to reduce this problem in vulnerable populations.

El síndrome de Gorlin-Goltz (SCBCN) es un trastorno hereditario raro caracterizado por múltiples carcinomas basocelulares y queratoquistes odontogénicos (QO), asociado a mutaciones en el gen PTCH1. Aunque las manifestaciones clínicas son bien conocidas, la presencia de sialolitiasis en pacientes con SCBCN es un hallazgo inusual y poco documentado. Se presenta el caso de una paciente femenina de 18 años con antecedentes familiares de SCBCN, quien acudió al servicio de Cirugía Maxilofacial del Hospital Juárez del Centro por un aumento de volumen en la región mandibular de 6 meses de evolución. La paciente presentaba características craneofaciales típicas del SCBCN, como macrocefalia, prominencia frontal, estrabismo y laterognasia mandibular. Además, se identificaron pits palmares y plantares, así como un aumento de volumen en la región submandibular derecha. Los estudios radiográficos revelaron múltiples lesiones quísticas en la mandíbula y el maxilar, consistentes con QO, y calcificaciones en la glándula submandibular derecha, sugiriendo sialolitiasis. El diagnóstico de SCBCN se confirmó mediante la presencia de múltiples QO, pits palmares y plantares, y antecedentes familiares. La sialolitiasis se confirmó histopatológicamente tras la sialoadenectomía de la glándula submandibular derecha. El tratamiento incluyó la enucleación de los QO con aplicación de solución de Carnoy modificada y la sialoadenectomía de la glándula submandibular afectada. La paciente mostró una buena evolución postoperatoria, sin complicaciones y con regeneración ósea adecuada en los controles radiográficos posteriores. Este caso destaca la importancia de un enfoque multidisciplinario en el manejo del SCBCN, así como la necesidad de documentar y estudiar manifestaciones atípicas como la sialolitiasis en pacientes con este síndrome. La detección temprana y el manejo adecuado de las manifestaciones clínicas del SCBCN son cruciales para optimizar el tratamiento y mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes.