13 May 2024

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Oral health: the value of prevention

Gianna Maria Nardi

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Prevention is to be considered the most significant tool for involving the assisted person in being the responsible protagonist of his or her lifelong health project.

The involvement of the patient, sensitized to know what the risk factors for dento-periodontal health are and what correlations exist with systemic health is a great opportunity.

To competently communicate the evolution of research on this topic and have a motivational approach that is able to have an effect of adherence to operational protocols and follow-ups, it is necessary to have trained health workers in the area who can provide effective and innovative prevention protocols, also in the public sector and not only in the private sector, in compliance with a policy inclusive of the entire population.

The updating and discussion of epidemiological data relating to the carious process and periodontal diseases must stimulate awareness of the inefficiency of the management of the current health project at a global level.

Disturbing epidemiological data (the carious disease affects more than 2 billion people worldwide while the problems of severe periodontitis over one billion source EFP) and considerable expenses in the world (544 billion dollars worldwide according to EFP), must give pause for thought on the need for projects that can provide an effective stimulus to a culture of prevention.

Interceptive medicine must be considered an important resource, which must align all healthcare professions with a true interdisciplinary approach, with the improvement of the offer of services in primary prevention, on the healthy patient, to leave him healthy for life. Intercept clinical situations of secondary prevention early and prevent untreated reversible pathologies from being included in tertiary prevention, therefore rehabilitation which often requires complex and difficult maintenance.

Prevention has a considerable saving value, but beyond merely economic evaluations, it is ethical to make evaluations on the value of prevention in the context of the well-being of the global population and eco-sustainability to prepare for a better future.

Telemedicine, photodynamics, phototherapy, fluorescence, ozone therapy and all ergonomic, minimally invasive preventive clinical approaches that facilitate early interception must be considered an opportunity to produce oral health for all assisted people and give the right value on prevention.