The 1st Luso-Brazilian Paediatric Dentistry Conference strengthened scientific cooperation between Portugal and Brazil
Portuguese and Brazilian experts met over two days at the Sant’Ana Orthopaedic Hospital and the Alcoitão Centre for Rehabilitation Medicine, both part of Santa Casa, to promote scientific updates, the sharing of knowledge and the improvement of oral healthcare provided to children.
The 1st Portuguese-Brazilian Paediatric Dentistry Conference, organised by the Lisbon Paediatric Dentistry Service (SOL) of Santa Casa, in partnership with the Brazilian Association of Paediatric Dentistry (ABOPED), took place this Monday and Tuesday (29 and 30 June), under the theme “Intrinsic Defects of Dental Enamel in Children”, bringing together some of the most renowned Portuguese and Brazilian specialists in this field of paediatric oral health.
The first day took place at Sant’Ana Hospital (HOSA) and was opened by André Brandão de Almeida, Director of Health at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, who recalled that SOL was born out of a simple, but one that is deeply demanding: to ensure that oral health is a right for all children, regardless of their families’ economic circumstances.
In his speech, he also emphasised that technical specialisation only makes sense when it is integrated into a person-centred approach: “For a long time, we organised care by departments and units. The problem is that patients insist on presenting themselves as whole people. And thank goodness for that.” The Director argued that a child can never be viewed solely in terms of their clinical condition, but rather as a growing person, part of a family, a school and a community, requiring coordinated responses across different specialities.
The opening session also featured a speech by Sandra Kalil Bussadori, president of the Brazilian Association of Paediatric Dentistry, a partner in the initiative, who highlighted the importance of this collaboration between Portugal and Brazil in the production and sharing of knowledge as fundamental to raising the quality of care provided to children.
ABOPED’s participation reinforces the international dimension of the conference and highlights the scientific recognition of this partnership between two institutions committed to excellence in paediatric dentistry. On this first day, participants attended a scientific programme dedicated to the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of intrinsic dental enamel defects, with presentations by leading experts on contemporary paediatric dentistry, minimally invasive approaches, molar-incisor hypomineralisation, dental fluorosis, diagnostic tools, enamel biology and the use of restorative materials.
The second day of the event, which took place at the Alcoitão Centre for Rehabilitation Medicine (CMRA), featured André Brandão de Almeida, José João Mendes, President of the Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, and Sandra Kalil Bussadori, who led a practical (hands-on) session dedicated to the use of restorative materials in different types of enamel defects.
The programme also included lectures and discussion sessions on some of the most topical issues in paediatric dentistry, including the clinical importance of saliva, the prevalence of molar-incisor hypomineralisation in different countries, the psychological and social impact of these conditions on children, including instances of bullying, new approaches to pain management, restorative and aesthetic solutions for enamel defects, and the occlusal challenges associated with these changes.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the work carried out at the Alcoitão Centre for Rehabilitation Medicine through a visit to its premises, gaining insight into one of the country’s leading centres in the field of rehabilitation.
