Introduction
Oral diseases emerged as an important issue for humans to address during the 20th century. While oral diseases had afflicted humans since pre-historic times, some conditions that were prevalent in the 20th century exacerbated the issue. To begin with, this century witnessed increased urbanization. Most people in urban settlements consumed little or no fresh foods. In addition to this, their sugar consumption was higher than it had ever been in the previous centuries. These conditions led to increases in tooth loss and decay leading to the need for the development of oral prevention methods. This paper will seek to differentiate between the oral disease prevention methods of the past and those of the present. It will demonstrate how these prevention efforts have changed over time.
Past and Present Differences
A major difference between past and present prevention methods is in the use of teeth extractions to deal with dental caries. Tooth extraction is one of the oldest forms of oral disease prevention and cure techniques. This method helps to restore or preserve oral health by getting rid of a damaged or badly decayed tooth. Removal of the tooth can help prevent the neighboring teeth from being infected. There is a significant difference in the use of tooth extraction procedures in the past and today. A study by Trovik, Klock, and Haugejorden reveals that there has been a significant decrease in the frequency of tooth extractions between 1968 and 1998 (89). Starting from the early 20th century, dentists relied predominantly on extractions to deal with carriers. Extractions were favored since they were cheap for the patient and the procedure did not require any specialized tools or significant expertise on the part of the dentist. There has been a de-emphasis on the use of extractions in modern dentistry. Schmieder notes that modern dentistry focuses on saving natural teeth (212). Trivia, et al. document that the proportion of extractions carried out in the developed world had decreased dramatically by the start of the 21st century (89). Presently, extraction is deemed as a last resort that should only be used when there is no chance of saving the damaged tooth.
Another difference is that people in the past only visited the dentist to address a tooth issue. In most cases, toothaches or visible damages to the teeth were the reason why people went to see a dentist. This view is corroborated by Schmidseder who observes that in the past, people primarily went to the dentist when they had toothaches (212). This practice was detrimental to the oral health of the population. By the time pain compelled the person to visit the dentist significant damage had already been done to the teeth. This trend has changed and in the present and dentistry is no longer exclusively pain-oriented. Many people visit the dentist regularly to have their teeth checked. As such, oral prevention practices have moved towards preventative medicine. These changes have led to improved oral health in the population. Veiga reveals that regular visits to the dentist ensure the prevention and detection of oral diseases at an early stage (1).
There have been some changes in the manner in which sealants are used for oral disease prevention. Sealants are generally used to deal with pits and fissures. Veiga notes that pits and fissures commonly occur on the surfaces of permanent teeth (2). They are most often located on the occlusal surfaces of molars and premolars. Fissures contribute to tooth decay since carriers can easily accumulate in the cracks. In the past, dentists used sealants to deal with pits and fissures and therefore prevent future carrier development. While sealants are still used as primary preventive agents, modern dentists use this solution as a secondary preventive measure. Sealing procedures are therefore undertaken before fissures and pits even develop. Cappeli and Chenevert document that in many developed countries the first permanent molars are sealed as soon as they erupt (205). This pre-emptive sealing ensures that the teeth are protected from developing fissures and pits in the first place.
Effective cleaning of teeth is mandatory for good oral hygiene. There have been some changes in the ways in which this cleaning is done. In the past, dentists encouraged people to clean their teeth thoroughly using toothbrushes. It was understood that regular cleaning using a fluoride toothpaste and constant flossing would guarantee oral health. However, this perception changed over the decades as dentists observed that these methods did not completely eliminate oral problems. Today it is well understood that effective brushing using toothbrushes and flossing does not lead to guarantee oral health. There are food particles that still remain and they can build up leading to plaque and gum disease. To prevent this, modern dentistry recommends the use of scaling and professional cleaning (Cappeli and Chenevert 205). This procedure involves the use of rotating brushes and abrasive paste to clean and polish teeth. The built-up debris and soft plaque are eliminated using this kind of cleaning.
Significant changes have occurred in how restorative dentistry is undertaken. One restorative dentistry technique used for many centuries is crowning. Through this method, a dentist is able to improve the health of the teeth by encasing a tooth with some restorative material. In the past, dentists used porcelain, ivory, and even gold to restore damaged crowns. However, the crowns had a limited lifespan and they needed to be replaced after less than a decade. In addition to this, the crowns lacked a natural look and one could easily notice that a person’s tooth had been crowned. Modern dentistry has improved on this tooth maintenance method. To begin with, dentists are able to make crowns that have the shape of a person’s real tooth. This has a cosmetic value since the added crown is undetectable by sight. In addition to this, modern crowns have the same lifespan as that remaining for the tooth structure (Muthu 234). This means that a person does not need to have the crown replaced once it has been restored.
Conclusion
This paper set out to discuss the differences between how people prevented oral diseases in the past and in the present. It began by noting that there is significant need for oral health care in the modern world. It then discussed the various differences between prevention methods used in the past and the present. There have been changes in the preferred methods of prevention with extractions falling out of favor. Options such as sealants are today used as secondary preventive measures even when there is no damage detected on teeth. The paper notes that the changes have been caused by a change in attitude by the population concerning the issue of dental health as well as improvements in technology.
Works Cited
Cappeli, David, and Connie Chenevert. Prevention in Clinical Oral Health Care. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2007. Print.
Muthu, Raj. Paediatric Dentistry: Principles and Practice. New Delhi: Elsevier, 2009. Print.
Schmidseder, John. Aesthetic Dentistry. Berlin: Thieme, 2011. Print.
Trovik, Tordis, Kristin Klock and Ola Haugejorden. “Trends in reasons for tooth extractions in Norway from 1968 to 1998.” Acta Odontologica Scandinavica 58.2 (2000): 89-96
Veiga, Nelio. “Prevalence of Dental Caries and Fissure Sealants in a Portuguese Sample of Adolescents.” PLoS ONE 10.3 (2015): 1-12. Web. 15.