Preventive Dental Care, Chairside and Beyond

Dear Colleagues,

Preventive dental care, much like the term suggests, refers to activities that work to prevent oral health issues. In fact, preventive dental care is not limited to simple actions such as toothbrushing and dental flossing to keep teeth clean and clear of diseases. The aim of prevention is to bring disease status to the lowest stage. Actions should be taken at any stage of the disease progression, ideally as early as possible. Three-level prevention strategies have been widely advocated. Primary prevention strategies are used to prevent the onset of oral diseases, including but not limited to the provision of health-related information, oral health education and promotion, the application of topical fluoride, chlorhexidine, and other health technologies. Secondary prevention includes strategies that detect disease early and intervene to prevent its progression, such as regular dental check-ups and the utilization of early detection tools. Tertiary prevention strategies are used to prevent function loss and lower morbidity by restoring function and reducing disease‐related complications, for example, replacing missing teeth with dental implants and rehabilitating function with residual parts.

It is important to be proactive in preventive dental care which is not restricted to the chairside in the dentist’s office. Topical fluoride application and fissure sealant are far from sufficient in terms of preventive actions. Community involvement is considered a promising strategy to make prevention a priority, and to make it sustainable. As the time spent in a dentist’s office is usually quite limited, community involvement helps preventive dental care to sustain and endure in achieving success. In addition, peer influence within the community may boost the effectiveness of preventive actions.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews and case reports (with good quality photos) related to preventive dental care. Preventive strategies include but are not limited to oral health promotion, early diagnosis, the assessment or management of oral diseases and conditions, novel dental care protocols to lower disease levels, and the rehabilitation of oral function. Strategies can be considered at both individual and community levels.

This Special Issue will provide readers with up-to-date information on preventive dental care in minimizing severity of diseases. Further, it will raise awareness of the importance of preventive actions for dental professionals as well as general readers.

Prof. Dr. Chun Hung Chu
Dr. Chloe Jiang
Guest Editors

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