Whole mouth health

In 2016, the FDI received global approval and acceptance on the updated definition of oral health, which provides precision and clarity to its diverse aspects, including related research, education, practice, policy and advocacy. This latest definition also notes the importance of oral health as ‘a fundamental component of health, physical and mental well-being’. Therefore, patients' comprehension of oral hygiene should go beyond teeth cleaning goals. A more effective approach to everyday prevention of dental diseases may be achieved by the adoption of a ‘Whole Mouth Health’ model. ‘Whole Mouth Health’ can be defined as a holistic approach that brings together perspectives and insights from oral biology, behavioural sciences, practice management and public health coupled with advanced oral care technologies. Such an approach takes into consideration a new paradigm of adopting patient-centred dentistry, which can help dental practitioners yield personalized and participatory care focused on patient empowerment and everyday prevention.

One key area of preventive care in dentistry is focused on supporting patients to adopt and maintain an effective daily oral care routine. Many dental teams go beyond providing routine care, engaging with their patients as their oral health coach, helping to motivate and optimize their behaviours. This approach is a hallmark of patient-centred care (PCC). In adapting PCC for dentistry, several models have developed fundamental principles to address comprehensive interactions with patients. These include physical and emotional support and consideration on how information is relayed, understood and acted upon.¹ These can be summarized as:^{2, 3}