Considerations when giving patients oral hygiene instruction

All dental care professionals have a responsibility to provide their patients with oral health advice based on the most up-to-date evidence in a manner that both informs and motivates good oral health practices. With the recent release of the third edition of the document, Delivering Better Oral Health: An Evidence-based Toolkit for Prevention, from Public Health England (2014), it seems a sensible time for us all to review our practices with regard to preventive care for our patients.

As dental care professionals, we are all aware of the importance of a good brushing technique, coupled with fluoride toothpaste, in the prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease. Unfortunately, the evidence would suggest that far too many dental professionals are failing to deliver this essential information to patients. Although the dental team has an important role in the maintenance of patients' oral health—for example, through fluoride varnish application and the restoration of caries—it is the patients' ability to carry out good oral care outside of the surgery that will have the most significant effect on the quantity of disease and its rate of progression. Thus, the provision of high-quality oral health advice is arguably the most important role of the dental care professional.