The act of caring, being responsible for the survival and quality of life of others, represent extra activities that can cause socio-emotional changes to those who perform this function. Objective: To assess the quality of life, depression, anxiety and stress of caregivers of people with or without Down syndrome. Methodology: 144 caregivers were divided into Control Group (caregivers of typical children) and Down Syndrome Group (caregivers of people with Down Syndrome). The controlled observational cross-sectional study was prepared in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Human Ethics Committee. To achieve the objectives, validated questionnaires related to the theme were applied. The data were subjected to the Chi-square test with modified Bonferroni post hoc and Rank or Pearson correlation tests. Results: The Down Syndrome Group had a lower quality of life related to the psychological domain and a higher environmental domain than the Control Group. In the groups studied, quality of life and family income showed a positive correlation (p = 0.02) and there was no difference in depression. The Control Group had a higher rate of anxiety and the Down Syndrome Group had a higher rate of physical symptoms of stress; correlated with the degree of dependence of the Down Syndrome patient (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Family income is an important factor for a better quality of life, symptoms of physical stress reduce the quality of life in the psychological domain and symptoms of physical stress of caregivers are correlated with a greater degree of dependence of patients with Down Syndrome.

Background/Objectives: The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has increased markedly in recent decades and has been associated with adverse health outcomes. In childhood, the family environment plays a central role in shaping dietary habits and oral health behaviors. This study investigated the association between UPF consumption by caregivers and children, its relationship with caregivers’ periodontal health–related quality of life and described children’s dietary practices and oral hygiene habits. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted with caregivers of children participating in the Happy Smile Project in Birigui, São Paulo, Brazil. UPF consumption was assessed using a questionnaire based on the NOVA classification, considering intake in the 24 hours prior to data collection. Caregivers’ periodontal health–related quality of life was evaluated using the OHIP-14-PD. Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman correlation, and binary logistic regression adjusted for caregiver education level and household income. Results: A high frequency of UPF consumption was observed among both caregivers and children. Children whose caregivers had high UPF consumption were more likely to also present high consumption (OR = 8.66; 95% CI: 5.00–14.99; p < 0.001). Higher caregiver education was associated with lower odds of high UPF consumption among children. Children in the high-consumption group were older and showed higher consumption of sweetened milk beverages (p < 0.001). Risk behaviors for oral health, such as nighttime use of sweetened bottles and absence of toothbrushing afterward, were frequently reported. Regarding periodontal health–related quality of life, only the physical disability domain of the OHIP-14-PD showed significantly higher scores among caregivers with high UPF consumption (p = 0.014). Conclusions: In conclusion, high consumption of ultra-processed foods by caregivers significantly increased the odds of children’s consumption and was associated with a greater negative impact on caregivers’ periodontal health–related quality of life. In addition, children exhibited a high frequency of oral health–damaging behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of family-centered strategies aimed at reducing the intake of ultra-processed foods and promoting healthier oral health behaviors to improve overall quality of life.

Background/Objectives: The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has increased markedly in recent decades and has been associated with adverse health outcomes. In childhood, the family environment plays a central role in shaping dietary habits and oral health behaviors. This study investigated the association between UPF consumption by caregivers and children, its relationship with caregivers’ periodontal health-related quality of life, and described children’s dietary practices and oral hygiene habits. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with caregivers of children participating in the Happy Smile Project in Birigui, São Paulo, Brazil. UPF consumption was assessed using a questionnaire based on the NOVA classification, and periodontal health-related quality of life was evaluated using the OHIP-14-PD. Results: A high frequency of UPF consumption was observed among both caregivers and children. Children whose caregivers had high UPF consumption were more likely to also present high consumption (OR = 9.96; 95% CI: 5.38–18.44; p < 0.001). Higher caregiver education was associated with lower odds of high UPF consumption among children. Children in the high-consumption group were older and showed higher consumption of sweetened milk beverages (p < 0.001). Risk behaviors for oral health, such as nighttime use of sweetened bottles and absence of toothbrushing afterward, were frequently reported. Regarding periodontal health-related quality of life, only the physical disability domain showed significantly higher scores among caregivers with high UPF consumption (p = 0.014). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that high consumption of ultra-processed foods by caregivers significantly increased the odds of children’s consumption and was associated with a greater negative impact on caregivers’ periodontal health-related quality of life, specifically in the physical disability domain. In addition, children exhibited a high frequency of oral health-damaging behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of family-centered strategies aimed at reducing the intake of ultra-processed foods and promoting healthier dietary and oral health behaviors.

Background/Objectives: Community‐based activities are an essential component of the dentistry curriculum. This study evaluated the perception of undergraduate students participating in Community‐Based Programmes regarding their importance in professional training as dentists. Methods: Participants of the ‘Happy Smile’ project in 2023 and 2024 were invited via WhatsApp and/or e‐mail to complete a questionnaire based on Likert scales, designed to collect demographic data and assess perceptions related to the development of skills and competencies established by the Brazilian National Curriculum Guidelines for dental education. Results: Overall, 81.6% of students classified the community‐based learning project as ‘very important’ for their professional training. Among the actions that contributed to the students' educational objectives, the variable ‘importance in student training’ showed positive correlations with participation in organisational and/or feedback meetings ( p = 0.002), participation in training courses on standard operating protocols ( p = 0.008), participation in training of educational materials for pedagogical activities ( p = 0.002), provision of minimally invasive dental care in schools ( p = 0.002), supervised toothbrushing ( p = 0.024), and delivery of educational lectures in schools ( p = 0.006), among others. Key skills and competencies for oral health promotion included the development of non‐verbal communication ( p = 0.0001), integration into the social context ( p = 0.022), performance of clinical examination and diagnosis ( p = 0.0001), adherence to ethical principles ( p = 0.0001), and teamwork ( p = 0.0001). Conclusions: The ‘Happy Smile’ community‐based learning project proved to be highly valuable for the training of future dental professionals across multiple domains. Student involvement in school‐based oral health promotion activities was directly proportional to their self‐confidence and learning outcomes.

Background/Objectives: Oral health promotion in early childhood depends strongly on caregivers’ preventive care at home and educational centers. The aim of this study was to investigate socioeconomic, educational, cultural, and oral health factors associated with caregivers’ decisions to decline their children’s participation in school-based oral health promotion programs. Methods: Caregivers who did not authorize their children’s participation in the project were identified through school records and contacted using available information (name, telephone number, and email address). Participants were selected through simple random sampling. Results: Among the 58 caregivers included in the study, the main reasons reported were failure to return the consent form or missing the deadline (36.2%), considering the child too young (19.0%), already receiving private dental care (13.8%), not understanding the consent form (13.8%), not having received the document (10.3%), lack of trust in the professional (3.4%), and other reasons (3.4%). Higher income was significantly associated with higher educational level (p = 0.002), increased toothbrushing frequency (p = 0.007), shorter time since the last dental visit (p < 0.001), and lower levels of embarrassment related to oral health (p < 0.001). Additionally, lower-income caregivers were more likely to seek dental care only in the presence of problems (p = 0.046), while higher-income families were more likely to report private dental care as a reason for non-authorization (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings associate socioeconomic and educational inequalities with adverse effects on family oral health among parents, by reducing the frequency of preventive dental examinations and daily oral hygiene practices; and among children, by limiting authorization to participate in school-based oral health promotion programs. This evidence underscores that successful promotion of children’s oral health in educational settings requires addressing social disparities while strengthening caregivers’ knowledge and motivation to support participation.

Background/Objectives: Avulsion is a major cause of tooth loss, and its treatment involves replantation. This study analyzed the repair process of incisive teeth subjected to delayed replantation after topical treatment with ampicillin and tetracycline. Methods: Forty male rats were equally divided into four groups: immediate replantation (IM), ampicillin (AM), tetracycline (TR), and dry medium (SE). In the IM group, replantation was performed 5 min after experimental avulsion, whereas in the SE group, the teeth were kept in a dry medium for 60 min. In the AM and TR groups, the teeth were stored in whole bovine milk for 60 min, and then immersed in their respective ampicillin and tetracycline solutions for 5 min. Euthanasia was performed 60 days after the experimental surgery. Histological slides were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin for quantitative and qualitative analyses. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed among the IM, AM, and TR groups regarding the total resorption area, reattached periodontal ligament fibers, and ankylosis. However, when compared to the SE group, these groups exhibited a smaller total resorption area (IM: p = 0.005; AM: p = 0.0007; TR: p = 0.03), a larger area of periodontal ligament fibers reattachment (IM: p = 0.0002; AM: p = 0.0002; TR: p = 0.02), and a lower presence of ankylosis (IM: p = 0.005; AM: p = 0.0002; TR: p = 0.03). The AM group exhibited the smallest inflammatory resorption. Conclusions: It is concluded that, in an aseptic environment, the use of topical antibiotics such as ampicillin and tetracycline in the treatment of the root surface during replantation of teeth stored in milk is beneficial to the periodontal repair process and root resorption. Notably, ampicillin demonstrated superior efficacy in mitigating inflammatory root resorption and better periodontal ligament reattachment.