LESSON 4
SELF-CARE PROCEDURES
Section I. OVERVIEW
4-1.
GENERAL
A program of preventive dentistry depends heavily upon patient participation and
cooperation. The success of the program depends on how well the patients are taught
and how well they are motivated to perform preventive procedures. Any Army
installation with one or more dental officers practicing dentistry has a preventive
dentistry program which includes comprehensive educational programs for military
personnel and their family members. Patients should be taught good self-care
measures and proper diet. The patient population should be informed about the
importance of good oral hygiene, maintaining the integrity of the deciduous dentition,
and regular professional care in the prevention of oral disease. This information can be
disseminated in many different ways. It can be given in lectures to troops in small or
large groups and to children in the school classrooms. It can be presented at parent-
teacher meetings, wives' club meetings, and prenatal and well-baby clinics. The benefit
derived from knowledge of preventive procedures should be communicated to as many
people in as many ways as possible.
4-2.
ORAL HYGIENE
Development of and adherence to good oral hygiene practices is the most
important measure in preventing oral disease. Under field and combat conditions, the
associated stress, diet, and fatigue make the practice of oral hygiene especially
important in maintaining oral health and conserving the fighting strength. At the same
time, it is under these conditions that a person is most likely to neglect personal
hygiene. A continual education program for the troops and commanders is essential to
encourage observance of oral hygiene practices under all conditions.
4-3.
SELF-CARE MEASURES
The most effective measures in maintaining oral health are those the individual
performs himself. This means the practice of good oral hygiene. The PDS and other
dental specialists should be familiar with current oral hygiene knowledge and
techniques and be prepared to instruct patients. The best preventive self-care depends
upon the use of a suitable toothbrush and an effective toothbrushing technique, the use
of a suitable dentifrice, the use of a disclosing material, the correct use of dental floss,
and other self-care measures.
MD0513
4-2