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The concepts of oral health and systemic health should not, in principle, be interpreted as separate entities. Oral health is integrated with systemic health, and this information favors the important consideration that oral health means much more than healthy teeth, and that human beings cannot be considered healthy without good oral health conditions. Significant progress has been made in oral health, but there is still a lot of work to be done. There are safe and effective preventive measures that everyone can take to improve their health, and dentists play a key role in disseminating prevention information, especially about the most prevalent oral diseases, i.e. dental caries and periodontal disease. However, many controversies accompany us on a daily basis, for example, if we sterilize or at least disinfect the entire arsenal to be used for dental procedures, doesn't it suggest a paradox that we use the toothbrush as the most commonly used instrument for cleaning the soft and hard tissues of the mouth, without taking any precautions other than simply (and ineffectively) rinsing it under running water after use?
About the author
Graduated in Dentistry from the University of São Paulo's Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry (1987), where he also completed a Dental Residency in Endodontics (1988 and 1989), he holds two Specialist Degrees: in Endodontics and in Prosthodontics. He has a Master's Degree (1996) and a PhD in Oral Rehabilitation (1999), and is currently a Full Professor (MS-6).
