What do you know about the concept of preventative dentistry?

The dentistry that is practised today focuses on prevention rather than your classic 'drill and fill'. Here are some key aspects of preventative dentistry:

• Educating patients on how to better look after their oral health
• Recognising early signs of disease and treating it straight away before waiting for it to get worse, leading to complex treatments
• Implementing fluoride in oral hygiene habits- using fluoride toothpaste, fluoride varnish, mouthwash
• Smoking cessation and alcohol advice
• Use of diet diaries- this takes a closer look at patient's diet so that the dentist can help the patient make sugar-free food choices

A preventative approach puts the patient in control of their oral health and aims to reduce NHS burden as it limits complex treatments. Preventative dentistry also allows dentists to work with dental hygienists and therapists to help reduce disease.

Suggested structure for this answer:

• Describe what is meant by the term 'preventative dentistry'
• Give examples of how this is achieved
• Explain how the wider implications of preventative dentistry- eg promotes patient autonomy