Prevention Across the Lifespan: A Review of Evidence-Based Interventions for Common Oral Conditions

Dear Reader:

We are delighted to present the textbook Prevention Across the Lifespan: A Review of Evidence- Based Interventions for Common Oral Conditions. It is very appropriate that this book is being published at a time when prevention is front and center within oral healthcare , both in education and professional practice.

In this textbook, we have structured the material so that it can be used by those early in their educational journey as well as seasoned practitioners. It will provide the reader with practical information regarding the prevention of the most common oral health indications, with a special emphasis on age-related considerations. This text focuses on the current best evidence available to support decision making for recommended preventive interventions. This book is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the science around diagnosis and treatment for each of these indications – there are numerous resources available from experts in the field if one is interested in diving deeper in areas such as caries, periodontal disease, or dry mouth. Rather, it is our intention to emphasize how practitioners can help patients prevent disease from occurring , recurring, or progressing.

This book is the result of a 12-month process based on the most contemporary thinking behind what the literature suggests regarding prevention of oral disease. A unique feature in many of the chapters is the addition of case reviews that bring to life the content in the chapter. The reader will be able to use these cases to reinforce what they just read. Students will find these cases useful in incorporating the content into the broader learning process in which they are engaged. Finally, dental faculty will find these cases useful in their respective courses.

We would like to express our deep appreciation to the chapter authors. It was through their knowledge of these vitally important subjects, their professional relationships with the two of us, and their backgrounds as highly regarded researchers and educators in dentistry, that we are able to bring you this significant work.

Since the launch of its first toothpaste in 1873, the Colgate-Palmolive Company has been a world leader in oral care, both through cutting-edge therapeutics, as well as important educational services to the dental professions. This book, Prevention Across the Lifespan: A Review of Evidence-Based Interventions for Common Oral Conditions, which has been produced and distributed through an educational grant from the company (by which the company provided funding to the publisher), is a prime example of Colgate’s continuing commitment to ensuring education for dental professionals.


Ann E. Spolarich & Fotinos A. Panagakos

Editors:
Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD , FSCDH Professor and Director of Research Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health A.T. Still University Mesa, AZ, USA .
Fotinos S. Panagakos, DMD, PhD Global Director, Scientific Affairs Colgate-Palmolive Company Piscataway, NJ, USA