Diane Peterson

June 18, 2024 @1:00pm

Patient Acceptance of In Office and At Home Preventive Therapies

Dental caries is preventable, yet it continues to be the most common chronic disease in children. The price paid for dental caries is not only measured in the money spent on restorative procedures, it is also measured in the effects it has on overall health and well-being. During the early 1900s, the focus of dentistry changed from extract to restore. With the knowledge and tools available in this century, it is time to shift from restore to prevention.

Management of the caries-prone patient requires a multifaceted approach – caries risk assessment, in-office care, patient education, and at-home regimens. Fluoride therapies play an important role in the in-office and at-home fluoride treatment programs in the prevention and management of dental decay. It is an accepted but often under-utilized therapy. This program will provide the participant with ways to navigate patient acceptance of these therapies.

• Utilizing evidence and data of preventive therapies for patient acceptance to build capacity.
• Develop and implement an effective in-office fluoride treatment protocol, based on appropriate patient risk for caries development.
• Develop and implement an effective at-home fluoride treatment protocol based on appropriate patient risk for caries development.