If dental diseases are to be prevented, patients must both understand the causes of dental diseases and genuinely want to achieve perfect dental health via the application of this knowledge.
Every individual must regularly assess himself to determine whether he is adequately motivated and also take into account factors that can occasionally affect the status of the tissues holding his teeth in place.
Everybody must strive to understand the purpose of plaque control and be trained in how to achieve and maintain it on a day-to-day basis. Regardless of the sacrifices involved, people should have a strong and genuine desire to retain a healthy dentition. Regular checks should be made on the thoroughness of brushing. Retraining should be given at intervals and patients encouraged constantly. While dentists must carry out meticulously careful supervision of plaque control and watch for the slightest signs of failure or the onset of gum infections, the hygienist must carry out a skilful and careful scaling and polishing of the teeth. Factors contributing to stagnation and accumulation of plaques should as far as possible be eliminated. Ancillary measures are the use of wood points and flossing of interdental surfaces, and these should be practised regularly as occasion demands.
