The purpose of this double-blind, randomized, crossover in situ study is to compare remineralization of preformed enamel lesions by casein phosphopeptide-stabilized amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) and fluoride dentifrice products. During each of four 10-day experimental legs, 10 participants wore intraoral removable palatal acrylic appliances with four human enamel slabs with preformed lesions. A 0.03-mL treatment paste was dripped extraorally onto the enamel blocks once a day for 3 min. The four randomly allocated treatments were as follows: CO- Control: silica dentifrice without fluoride; MP: MI Paste; MPP: MI Paste Plus and FD: Fluoride dentifrice - 1100 ppm F as NaF). Knoop surface hardness (SH) test was performed in three stages (T0 - sound enamel, T1 - after preformed lesion, and T2 - after treatment) and the cross-sectional hardness (CSH) test was performed after treatment using a 50-gram Knoop load for 15 s. Knoop hardness number (KHN) was similar between treatments. %SHr was significantly higher in the MP, FD, and MPP when compared to CO group (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests, p < 0.05). Harder enamel was found in MP (75 μm) and FD groups at 75 to 175 μm. Treatment with DF, MP, and MPP promoted an increase of 20.27%, 19.24%, and 14.71%, respectively, in Integral Hardness Change (ΔIHC) when compared to CO (p<0.05). Remineralizing agents (MP, MPP, and DF) were able to inhibit demineralization of human enamel subjected to high cariogenic challenge in situ. DF had the greatest preventive potential against the progression of carious lesions.

Introduction: This paper reviews the history of women scientists in the ‘Western world’, whilst highlighting the persistent socio-structural issues that have led to the hiding and masking of the participation of women in Science. Further, a reflection is made of the situation of Dentistry, specifically in the field of Orthodontics in Brazil. The difference between genders is discussed, with the intention to map the progress of women in management and leadership positions, in both the academic and professional fields. Description: In Brazil, within Dentistry and Orthodontics, despite being in a numerical majority, women are still underrepresented in the area of professional leadership. This is true for Research Groups and Research Productivity; an example being the relatively low authorship of publications in a Brazilian journal of Orthodontics. They are also underrepresented as lead presenters at professional meetings, whilst there are also few female Presidents of professional organizations and associations. Conclusion: Despite being in a numerical majority, it is also important that women act in a more co-ordinated and consistent manner to achieve greater representation in these areas. The necessary changes in the structure in order to achieve this are not only of women and for women, but they must also involve the whole of society so that leadership, rights and duties are equally distributed between the genders.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the impact of cigarette smoke on Invisalign ^® aligners in surface roughness, bacterial adherence rates, pH changes and multispecies biofilm formation after exposure. Materials and Methods: Seventy-two flat samples of growth (G1), sterility (G2), saliva (G3), and smoke (G4) groups were exposed to artificial saliva, and G4 underwent 21 cycles of smoke. Linear roughness (Ra) and average depth (Rz) were assessed before and after saliva (G3.1) and smoke (G4.1) exposure. Independent and paired t-tests compared measurements over 5 days of evaluation [biofilm, microorganisms (CFU/mL), pH, and volumetric surface roughness (Sa)], measurements were taken before (T0) and after (T1) exposure to saliva and cigarette smoke. Results: Increased roughness post-exposure to cigarette smoke Ra (p = 0.003) and Rz (p = 0.014) in G4.1 at T1 (p = 0.046), and higher roughness over time (Ra: 0.139 ± 0.007; Rz: 0.741 ± 0.026), unlike G3.1 (Ra: 0.122 ± 0.002; Rz: 0.616 ± 0.021). G1 had the highest CFU (8.57 × 108), significantly higher than the G4.2 (5.33 × 108) and G3.2 (2 × 108). From 24 to 96 h, pH in G4.2 (5.75) and G1 (4.45) showed slight decreases, G2 (6.76) and G3.2 (6.35) increased. G1 had the highest Sa (48.97 ± 14.19), compared to G2 (4.27 ± 1.14), G3 (7.60 ± 4.28), and G4 (13.98 ± 8.18). Conclusions: Cigarette smoke exposure elevated surface roughness and enhanced bacterial adherence on aligners. Clinical Relevance: Reinforce smoking cessation and strict oral hygiene protocols for aligner-wearing patients. In vivo studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Background: Emoji are pictograms frequently used in social networks capable of expressing emotions. These tools can provide insights into people's behavior that could not be obtained with the use of textual communication. Recently, emoji have been introduced to various research fields as successful alternatives to word-based questionnaires for measure emotional responses. The objective of this study was to preliminarily evaluate the discriminating ability and relationship of these tools with different occlusal conditions/malocclusions. Methods: Online surveys were applied to adult individuals (n = 201; mean age = 27.4 ± 5.7; 37.3% males, 62.7% females). Subjects issued acceptance scores (10-point scale) and expressed their emotional status using a 30-emoji list in relation to nine occlusal conditions: C1–crowding, C2–anterior open bite, C3–interincisal diastema, C4–increased overjet + deep bite (Class II div. 1), C5–anterior crossbite (Class III), C6–ideal occlusion, C7–unilateral posterior crossbite, C8–anterior open bite plus bilateral posterior crossbite plus crowding, and C9–deep bite (Class II div. 2). Cochran's Q and McNemar tests were used to compare the frequencies of choice of emoji between conditions. Correspondence analyses were applied to assess the association between occlusal conditions and emoji. Kendall's correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the relationship between mean acceptance scores and frequency counts of each emoji. Results: The frequency of choice between conditions showed a significant difference for 25 of the 30 emoji (P < 0.05), indicating an adequate discriminating ability of these tools. Emoji were grouped predominantly based on their emotional valence (positive/negative) and arousal/activation (high/low). Positive emoji were associated with the most accepted conditions (i.e., C6, C3), while negative emoji with the most rejected ones (i.e., C8, C1, C2). Although only weak, positive correlations between acceptance and positively valenced emoji, and negative correlations between acceptance and negatively valenced emoji were observed (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Emoji have an adequate discriminatory ability and would allow determining emotional profiles in the face of different occlusal conditions. Further research is necessary to consolidate the use of these tools in an instrument that allows measuring emotional responses.