FDI releases chairside guide for dentists with a focus on caries prevention

FDI World Dental Federation issued Aug. 29 a chairside guide to advise clinicians on restorative interventions with their patients. It was released on the opening day of the FDI World Dental Congress in Madrid, Spain, under the umbrella of the Caries Prevention Partnership (CPP), supported by Colgate.

The guide is conceived as a visual support with easy-to-follow guidelines suitable for the dental practice. The goal is to reduce the impact of caries as early as possible, by preventing further tooth destruction and reversing the caries process in favor of remineralization, and ultimately empower the patient to improve and maintain his or her own oral health.

"We believe this chairside guide is an easy reference tool for practicing clinicians and facilitates their decision-making on treatment options," says Sophie Dartevelle, member of the public health committee at FDI. "Dentists see numerous patients in one day all with their specific needs and anticipated outcomes. The guide is a reminder of the objective of patient care for caries, which has to be the least invasive and must necessarily involve the patient in the maintenance process."

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The guide will provide greater understanding of lesion activity and guidance in determining caries risk according to varying risk factors throughout life. These universal risk factors-which consider socioeconomic status, sugars consumption and poor oral hygiene, among others-are classified in a context of five age groups: three covering children and adolescents, one adults and one older adults. For each age group, there is a caries risk assessment, recommendations for professional maintenance, and suggestions for patient and education maintenance.

Launched in 2015, the CPP is an international effort to help shift the focus of dental practitioners from a restorative approach to preventive dental medicine. It seeks to enhance oral disease prevention through high-quality caries educational communication materials and activities that target professionals, patients and the general public. Available resources include a White Paper on Dental Caries Prevention and Management released last year and complimentary webinars, summit workshop proceedings and an advocacy toolkit.

"Caries is the most widespread chronic disease in the world, affecting people of all ages in their lifetime, yet it is a burden that is almost always preventable," says Dr Marsha Butler, vice president of global oral care at Colgate-Palmolive. "We are thrilled to continue supporting the Caries Prevention Partnership, now in its second year, as it is a great source of informative tools that contribute to the fight against oral disease."