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Self-care: practical periodontal care in today's practice
1Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York, Buffalo 14214-3008.
International Dental Journal
|April 1, 1993
Summary
Patients can take personal responsibility for periodontal health. Dentists should advise on and prescribe home-use agents, like rinses or pastes, to control plaque and maintain oral hygiene.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Periodontology
- Oral Hygiene
Background:
- Patients increasingly accept personal responsibility for health.
- Dentists play a key role in guiding patients toward periodontal health.
- Effective home-care agents are crucial for managing periodontal disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss agents for home use in periodontal health management.
- To outline essential properties and characteristics of plaque-controlling agents.
- To review the testing and availability of selected oral hygiene products.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of properties of plaque-controlling agents.
- Review of testing methodologies for oral hygiene products.
- Analysis of the availability of various formulations (rinses, pastes, gels).
Main Results:
- Plaque-controlling agents must possess specific efficacy and safety characteristics.
- Various formulations are available for patient home use.
- Testing and availability data for certain agents are presented.
Conclusions:
- Dentists should actively recommend and prescribe appropriate home-use agents.
- Patient education and adherence are vital for successful periodontal disease management.
- The selection of agents should be based on demonstrated properties and patient needs.