Oral Health & Disease Prevention

The two main oral diseases are:

  • dental caries or dental decay and
  • periodontal or gum disease.

There is now clear evidence that both of these diseases can be prevented or at least considerably reduced. Indeed, during the past 20 years there has been a substantial reduction in the prevalence of dental caries in Ireland.

However, despite this improvement there are still large numbers of people who continue to suffer high levels of dental decay and gum disease. As well as caries and periodontal disease there are a number of other conditions which affect the oral structures including;

  • Oral Cancer
  • Halitosis (bad breath)
  • Tooth wear
  • Dry Mouth
  • Tooth Sensitivity
  • Cold sores
  • Mouth Ulcers
  • Fractured Incisors

The determinants of these conditions and the preventive strategies to control them will be considered in this section.