title: Evaluating oral health promotion activity within a general dental practice.
abstract: The prevention of the common dental diseases is fundamental to modern day general dental practice. Oral health promotion (OHP) is therefore key to facilitating health outcomes within organisations. The literature surrounding OHP stresses the importance of evaluation in order to assess the effectiveness of OHP activities. This paper describes the evaluation of OHP within a general dental practice setting. Early attendance, the use of adult toothpastes during childhood and consequential fluorosis are investigated. A small service evaluation study of 100 consecutive patients was undertaken. The results support the ongoing promotion of early attendance and the use of toothpastes with adequate fluoride levels. There was no evidence of unsightly fluorosis in the sample studied.
authors.affiliation: University of South Wales, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, UK. wrichard@glam.ac.uk
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000145:classification; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011322:Primary Prevention; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides