Prevention as a treatment of excellence--a view from Mexico City.

Using survey data from Mexico City recorded in 1982 and 1989, the results of this paper suggest that practice-based, disease-orientated, one-to-one technical dentistry is failing to solve the problems of oral health. Prevention constitutes a much better alternative as it can be provided for a greater number of people, more easily and more cheaply. Recommendations are made on how dental practitioners can adopt measures to change professional behaviour in order to institute preventive measures.