Can a workplace preventive programme affect periodontal health?
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 29, 2026

Effects of Mechanical Methods Used in Peri-implantitis Treatment on Implant Surface Decontamination and Roughness
Published on: March 14, 2025
M R Fishwick1, F P Ashley, R F Wilson
1Haringey Healthcare NHS Trust, Dental Department, Tynemouth Road Health Centre, London.
Aim:
To evaluate an oral health awareness campaign in an adult population.
Design/Setting:
Four workplaces in north-east London were selected, matched in two pairs and randomly allocated to test and control groups. Completion occurred in 1995.
Subjects:
98 volunteer employees in good general health.
Interventions:
Two oral examinations were carried out, six weeks apart. The test group received the programme immediately after baseline examination and the controls after the second visit.
Main Outcome Measures:
Gingival bleeding on probing (BOP) and probing depths (PD) were measured on each occasion using a controlled pressure probe.
Results:
The mean percentage of sites with BOP per subject reduced from 56% to 25% in the test group, while remaining static in the control group at 46% to 48%. The mean percentage of sites probing 4 mm and above per subject reduced from 38% to 25% in the test group and from 28% to 25% in the control group. These differences between groups were statistically significant when submitted to analysis of covariance (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The study showed the clinical effectiveness of a workplace-based oral health awareness campaign, which is ideally suited to the skills and resources of the primary care dental team.
Related Concept Videos
Preventive Healthcare Services
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
The Oral Microbiota
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Standard Precaution
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...