4.3.3.

15 Prevention

Prevention should be fundamental to all healthcare. It is the cornerstone of the recently published
strategy from the Department of Health, Delivering Better Oral Health – An Evidence-based Toolkit
for Prevention 2nd Edition (2009), which can be downloaded via the 'Publications, Policy, and
Guidance' section found at www.dh.gov.uk/publications (as of March 2011).

All practices should:

 Know the fluoride concentration in water supplied to the areas in which its patients live.

 Have preventive leaflets and advice sheets for patients.

 Use diet analysis sheets.

 Either sell or recommend a supplier of preventive/oral hygiene aids.

 Use a protocol for patients at high risk of caries.

 Assess and record the caries risk for all dentate patients.

 Assess and record the risk of periodontal diseases for all dentate patients.

 Operate a smoking cessation programme with contact to specialist smoking cessation centres,
and promote smoking control programmes in accordance with local protocols.

Cross references:
Section 12 (Prevention) of the FFGDP(UK) Practice Questionnaire

Further reading:
Levine R and Stillman-Lowe C. The Scientific Basis of Oral Health Education. London: British Dental
Journal Books, 2004. Further information via www.bda-dentistry.org.uk/bdashop as of January 2009.
Casamassimo P and Holt K eds. Bright futures in Practice: Oral Health – Pocket Guide. Washington,
DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, 2004. Available at
www.brightfutures.org/oralhealth as of January 2009.
Department of Health. NHS stop smoking services: service and monitoring guidance. October 2007/8.
London: Stationery Office, 2008. Available via the 'Publications, Policy, and Guidance' section found at
www.dh.gov.uk/publications (as of January 2009).
Dental Protection Ltd. Risk management module 32: Preventive dentistry. London: DPL Publications,
2006. Available at www.dentalprotection.org as of March 2011.