Preventive Dentistry at All Levels of Health Care Services: A Call for Oral Health Care Reform

Abstract

As today’s life expectancy seems to be increased both in developing and developed nations. The major contributor of this success can be of various public health interventions undertaken across the globe. At the same time this achievement brings along many challenges that the health care system, which includes various public health services and public programs should be prepared to face. These challenges include growing burden of chronic illnesses, the rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases including cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, oral diseases, oral cancer , injuries etc. and the most important of all is to develop strategies and systems to address communicable and non-communicable diseases with appropriate policy changes, redefining focus on health promotion as well as addressing social determinants of disease at a low cost so that every country and  individual can afford. Many diseases can be prevented, yet health care systems do not make the best use of their available resources to support this process. The current medical care system in the early twenty-first century remains focused on the treatment and repair, with very little focus on prevention and promoting the health of people. Many of the times, health care workers fail to utilize the opportunity of utilising the value of counselling as an effective health promotion strategy which aims to empower people to make healthy and informed choices about their lifestyles improving their health. An interdisciplinary collaborative management approach is required at all the levels of health care system and sectors to prevent various risk and contributing factors of diseases.

Keywords: Prevention, dentistry, oral, health care, reform

Cite this Article

Sharma N. Preventive dentistry at all levels of health care services: a call for oral health care reform. Research and Reviews: Journal of Dentistry. 2015; 6(3): 36–40p