Periodontal awareness: the key to periodontal health

The maintenance of periodontal health requires an informed public and patient. Treatments will fail, and in fact will not ever start, if individuals are not aware of the differences between periodontal health and disease, the significance of these differences and the part they can play in prevention and control. Self awareness begins the process, with self care and professional assistance following. A periodontal awareness programme was started in New Zealand in 1986 aimed at improving periodontal health, through increasing the knowledge of both the public and the profession. It is on such a knowledge base that self care and assisted care programmes can be developed. This paper presents the New Zealand programme, the public and professional messages and the way these were linked. Patient self assessment and self care are emphasised. The new basic periodontal examination for the dentist and auxiliary staff begins a stepped and structured programme of assisted care. An examination of this awareness programme is presented together with future directions. Chronic inflammatory periodontal diseases are universal but the profession knows it is possible to prevent, manage and control almost all of these diseases. Awareness of the need for the right actions by patients and dental professionals is seen as the key to improving periodontal health.