The Economics of Oral Disease Prevention.

A. Everyone’s oral disease risk is different. For those at higher risk for tooth decay and gum disease, they should see a dental practitioner every 3 months whereas those at lower risk can visit anywhere between 6 and 12-monthly. The most important factor to establish oral health is good home oral hygiene. That is great news for individuals at high risk for oral disease because we can help them to get to a stage where they are at lower risk and can see us less often. 

A. Fluoride can be naturally present in water supplies and provides protection for teeth from dental decay over the lifespan. However, many water sources do not have sufficient levels of fluoride to provide optimal health benefits. That is why water fluoridation is important, as well as regularly using fluoride toothpaste and if necessary, having professionally applied fluorides, such as fluoride varnish at the dental clinic. All these sources of fluoride have been shown to be safe and cost-effective for the protection of teeth.

A. Baby teeth are essential for the child’s development. Dental professionals recommend children before age 2 should have a dental check-up, but just under 1 in 3 Australian children aged 5-6 years have never visited a dental practitioner. Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases among children and is responsible for high rates of hospitalisation. The most important outcome of an early dental check-up is creating a positive experience for children when visiting the dental clinic.

A. Teeth have natural grooves on the chewing surfaces of teeth that can make keeping them clean difficult. Fissure sealants are effective to reduce the risk of developing tooth decay but can also be used to treat early signs of tooth decay without needing to drill into a tooth to place a filling. They can also last as long or even longer than fillings. It is ideal to keep natural tooth structure since teeth are the strongest part of the human body when they are intact.

As well as the clinical benefits of oral disease prevention as highlighted above, there is the added value of economics that both save time and costs for individuals and families. Dental practitioners can also get involved in community oral health projects that can support the economics of oral disease prevention even more, such as the Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program. This program provides materials to inspire children and communicate to parents the importance of looking after teeth and gums.