Awareness of periodontal diseases: the professional and the civil servant

Newly qualified dentists and dental hygienists should have a good level of awareness of periodontal diseases. However, for a variety of reasons this knowledge may not be regularly updated or applied in practice. This paper considers how professional awareness can be influenced by such factors as: maintaining an up to date understanding of the nature of periodontal diseases, the routine use of appropriate screening and examination techniques, factors influencing assessment of treatment need, patient records, continuing professional education and an understanding of patient expectations. It goes on to describe how civil servants may help to stimulate improvements in awareness levels to periodontal diseases by promoting continuing education, epidemiological research and national oral health strategies as well as through legislation and regulation. The paper concludes that although a range of organisations can promote improvements in professional awareness, unless simultaneous efforts are made to improve the awareness of the general public to periodontal diseases, it is difficult to see how there can be an improvement in the periodontal health of the population.