Management of oral diseases

Management refers to various actions aimed at

preventing oral diseases, limiting their expansion and
damage or at eradicating the disease.
Ultimate goal in the management of oral disease:
-is to restore the original anatomy / morphology and
functions of organs and tissues affected.

Interventions to manage oral

diseases
Measures:
1-promotive
2-preventive
3-curative care

Interventions to manage oral

diseases:
1-promotive
Promotive- this is concerned with measures aimed at
helping individuals and communities to maintain an
acceptable oral health status by taking responsibility for
their own health and to timely seek professional
assistance for early detection and treatment.
Most common promotive measures:
-Mass information, Education and Communication. These
are done through radio talk shows ,news paper articles,
schools and or communities oral health sessions, duty
free concessions on tooth paste and toothbrushes.

Strategies for oral health promotion:

A) IEC ( information, Education / Communication
B) Promotion through law voted in parliament and
law enforced by the justice system.( example seat
belt laws, domestic violence, drinking and driving
etc.)
C) Socio- ecomonic measures: tax concessions for
particular goods
D) General measures: public or private insurance
schemes.

The Basis of Health Promotion

The basis is Primary Health Care:( PHC)
PHC-This refers to basic health care activities that are
geographically accessible, acceptable, affordable,
integrated and participatory.( Reich et al., 1998,p.274).
In other words it deals with essential health care services
provides to a given group or individuals and based on
practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable
methods and technology.( WHO,1979)

Principles of PHC
PHC relies on five principles:
1- Equity/ Accessibilitythis means health services
must be available and accessible to all communities
( urban, rural, isolated groups,the poor)
2- Community participation. The community must be
actively involved in all activities as it relates to their own
health.( decision-making, planning, development and
evaluation).
3- Comprehensive care- the approach here must be all
inclusive with promotive, preventive and therapeutic

4- Acceptability/Availability- with this principle

methods ,materials and personnel used in the health
system should be relevant, acceptable, effective and
readily available.
5. Intersectoriality - this principle refers to the idea
that health is only one part of the total individual or
community well-being and that actions for health go
beyond the medical or dental fields to include the
education, nutrition, agricultural and engineering sectors
etc.
Therefore the collaboration between health professionals

2. Prevention measures:
Plaque prevention and control. This is done through:
- Individual oral care and professional care.
a) Individual oral care ( POC)This is the first level of intervention in oral care
it involves the procedures performed by the individuals in order to prevent the
accumulation of dental plaque and calculus on the tooth surface. These
procedures includes:
- -tooth brushing,( manual or electrical) , tooth scrubbing ( use of wooden
sticks to clean tooth surface)
- -flossing, mouth rinsing, ( fluoridated rinse / therapeutic rinse)
- -use of interdental devices ( rubber tips, tooth picks, interproximal brushes)
- -irrigation ( special device (syringe with pressurised water to clean interdental
areas)

b) Professional oral care: ( POC)-procedure done to prevent and

control dental plaque thus dental caries and periodontal disease.
Includes evaluating the patient through history taking ,oral
examination and charting, making diagnosis and setting a treatment
plan for the patient.
POC procedures include:
tooth cleaning ( prophylaxis) which can be :-manual/hand scaling or
ultrasonic scaling.
Tooth polishing
Root planning
Fluoride application. ( topical in form of rinse or gel)

 -pits and fissure sealant application

-diet control
Oral health education

3.-curative care
This deals with the treatment of dental diseases in order
to restore normal anatomy and function. It includes the
following procedures:
-surgical careextraction
-restorative care- fillings
-prosthetic care- dentures, crowns etc. to replace
missing teeth
-orthodontic care- to correct mal alignment
Periodontal care- bone graft, contouring gingiva etc.