Steps to Better Gum Health
Steps to better gum health
Over 80% of UK adults show signs of gum disease.1 As dental professionals, you know that effective daily plaque control is key to tackling the causes of gum disease and stopping gingivitis in its tracks.
For patients however, changing their oral health behaviour can be hard. 40% of patients said that after starting off well, they struggled to continue following oral health advice from their dental professional.2
Haleon recently held a panel discussion in which experts gave their opinions about some of the barriers to patient behaviour change, and discussed how dental professionals could help. You can view highlights from this discussion below.
“Bleeding gums is so normalised, sometimes it is quite tricky to motivate a patient”. Neha Mehta, Newly qualified dentist
“I think there’s a lack of understanding from a very young age of all of the benefits of having a healthy mouth.” Rhiannon Jones, President Elect of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy
Corsodyl has developed a range of tools and resources designed to drive the conversation and reinforce your advice which you can download below.
Start the conversation: Tools and Resources
Five hacks to help highlight gum health
Put gum health at the centre of your conversation. Use these hacks act as a useful reminder for you and your team.
Pre-appointment patient questionnaire
Use this questionnaire to help assess patients’ motivation and current oral health behaviours, as well as any concerns they might have about their teeth, gums or mouth.
Chairside tool to facilitate patient discussion
43% of people ignore or put up with the symptoms of gum disease.3 This discussion guide explains to the path to gum disease and why gums matter.
Toothbrushing and interdental cleaning guide
Any information shared at the appointment is at risk of being forgotten over time. This guide acts as a useful reminder of advice on improving brushing technique and interdental cleaning.
Patient Leaflet
Help patients understand the signs of gum problems and make a 3 step plan for gum health.
Request Corsodyl toothpaste samples for patients
Corsodyl toothpastes formulated with 67% sodium bicarbonate are shown to remove 3x more plaque build-up than an SMFP toothpaste.* Request samples to share with patients.
*with twice daily brushing
Hear the insights and discussion from the panel
How can we work together to prevent gum disease?
Haleon invited a a group of dental professionals to discuss the role of the patient and practical approaches to support and motivate patients towards better gum health.
The panel included:
- Discussion moderator and behavioural change expert Professor Tim Newton, President of Oral Health Foundation and Professor of Psychology as Applied to Dentistry
- Dr. Amit Rai, GDP and Dento-Legal Adviser
- Rhiannon Jones, Dental Hygienist and President Elect of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy
- Dr. Neha Mehta, Newly qualified dentist
Watch highlights from their discussion below.*
*The views and opinions expressed by the panel members are their own, and do not reflect the views of Haleon plc
Hear the insights and discussion from the panel
Chapter 1. Framing the issue
The panel share their tips and ideas on raising the importance of gum health with patients.
Chapter 2. The role of the patient
The panel members talk about their opinion on the role of the patient in maintaining their own oral health, and the importance of ensuring the patient understands this.
Chapter 3.1 Practical approaches: the right tools
View the discussion on some practical ways to raise periodontal health with patients, and techniques for helping them adopt new behaviours. These practical approaches include the use of tools and patient prompts, visual aids and plaque charts.
Chapter 3.2 Practical approaches: working together
The panel continues to discuss practical ways to talk to patients about periodontal health, and suggest techniques for helping them adopt new behaviours.
Chapter 4. Working with commercial organisations
Could commercial organisations, such as toothpaste manufacturers help to reach the public beyond the dental chair? Watch now to see the discussion of opportunities.
Chapter 5. Behaviour change
Lastly, the panel talks about effecting positive, lasting behaviour change in patients to help them improve and maintain their periodontal and overall oral health.
