L9 An evidence based toolkit for prevention

Question 1

What are the 11 sections of the tool kit?

Answer 1

Section 1 – Summary guidance for primary care teams
Section 2 – principles of tooth brushing for oral health
Section 3 – Increasing fluoride availability
Section 4 – Healthier eating advice
Section 5 – sugar free medicines
Section 6 – improving periodontal health
Section 7 – smoking and tobacco use
Section 8 – alcohol misuse and oral health
Section 9 – prevention of erosion
Section 10 – helping patients change their behavior
Section 11 – supporting references

Question 2

How has the toolkit changed from when it was first published?

Answer 2

Not all advice given was evidence based but now toolkit provides sound evidence based finding and different grades of evidence are given (from 1 to 5)

Question 3

What are the contents of Section 1 – Summary guidance for primary care teams

Answer 3

Gives advice on:
o Prevention of caries
o Smoking cessation
o Oral cancer
I.e. its a summary of the whole guidance

Question 4

What are the contents of Section 2 – principles of tooth brushing for oral health

Answer 4

Gives advice about manual/ electric tooth brush (electric may be better, but more important is the frequency of the use of tooth brush (2 mins, twice a day)

Question 5

What are the contents of Section 3 – Increasing fluoride availability

Answer 5

Discusses sources of systemic + topical fluoride + gives information on fluoride concentration levels in toothpaste
Application of fluoride lad to 37% reduction in primary dentition + 43% reduction in adult dentition

Question 6

What are the contents of Section 4 – Healthier eating advice

Answer 6

Advice based on 6 key message from food standards agency
Recommendations on:
freq. of consumption of sugars
avoiding sugars at bed time
added sugars should be less than 10% of total energy

Question 7

What are the contents of Section 5 – sugar free medicines

Answer 7

Products that do not contain glucose/fructose + sucrose
When patients are on long term medications that contain sugar dentists should check BNF(British National Formulary, a medicine reference book) to prescribe sugar free medicines

Question 8

What are the contents of Section 6 – improving periodontal health

Answer 8

Oral hygiene should be carefully monitored/tailored to individuals needs/preferences
BPE(basic periodontal examination) is well known, quick and easy to use
- All children from age 7 upwards should be examined with modifications of BPE

Question 9

What are the contents of Section 7 – smoking and tobacco use

Answer 9

Smoking kills over 70,000 people each year, nearly 1,900 are due to oral cancers
Should ask people if they use smokeless tobacco, may have to show them what product looks like

Question 10

What are the contents of Section 8 – alcohol misuse and oral health

Answer 10

Section advises that alcohol misuse and tobacco account for about ¾ of all oral cancer cases

Question 11

What are the contents of Section 9 – prevention of erosion

Answer 11

Erosion is chemical loss of hard tissue through exposure to acids
Section gives advice on how to prevent erosion

Question 12

What are the contents of Section 10 – helping patients change their behaviour

Answer 12

Help to improve encourage and support patients and colleagues to improve their health and well being

Question 13

What are the contents of Section 11 – supporting references

Answer 13

Table of key references

important to ensure you are confident in the advice you provide to patients