Prevention of oral diseases.

The different types of hard- and soft tissues that are involved in the formation of the oral cavity are subject of numerous diseases. Albeit dental caries and periodontitis comprise the most common oral disease entities, also several premalignant and malignant conditions can occur within the oral cavity. There exists are wide armamentarium for the prevention of both, dental caries and periodontitis. Preventive strategies are even more important regarding oral malignancies since specifically these entities commonly provide only poor prognosis if not treated in early stages. The present contribution aims to present the pathogenic background of the most common oral diseases and the most effective methods for their prevention.