Patient-active prevention in primary dental care: a characterisation of general practices in Northern Ireland.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the preventive orientation of general dental practices by examining their patient-active prevention activities, practice policies for prevention and employment strategies.


METHODS
All general dental practices located within the region of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board (EHSSB) in Northern Ireland were contacted and invited to participate. A questionnaire assessed practice characteristics, patient-active prevention, practice policies and employment strategies. The principal general dental practitioner (GDP) was invited to complete the questionnaire.


RESULTS
Seventy-seven per cent of practices participated. Nearly all the practices provided patient-active prevention; however, lower proportions of dentists provided advice on diet for dental caries (3%), oral hygiene instruction, fluoride toothpaste use and interdental cleaning (7%) with each new course of dental treatment. 'Patient-active' prevention practices were 5.8 times more likely to employ a hygienist and 5.3 times more likely to have a practice policy to screen for oral cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the employment of a hygienist is central to the reorientation of primary dental care. The Government must be encouraged to provide the financial means to allow primary care to shift from being disease-centred to health-focused.
Freeman
Ruth
R
Dental Public Health and Behavioural Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT12 6BP, UK.
Kerr
Gail
G
Salmon
Kathy
K
Speedy
Patti
P
D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D009660:Northern Ireland; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D011313:Preventive Dentistry / Q000379:methods*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires