Freeman Ruth, Kerr Gail, Salmon Kathy, Speedy Patti
Dental Public Health and Behavioural Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT12 6BP, UK.
Prim Dent Care. 2005 Apr;12(2):42-6. doi: 10.1308/1355761053695185.
To investigate the preventive orientation of general dental practices by examining their patient-active prevention activities, practice policies for prevention and employment strategies.
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.
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.
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.
