Preventive Practices

Decades of research demonstrate how preventive oral health practices can help decrease the development of certain oral health conditions, including dental caries, or cavities. Preventive oral healthcare starts good oral hygiene practices, such as brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, drinking fluoridated water, flossing daily, chewing sugar free gum, and avoiding excess sugar and fermentable carbohydrates, and not smoking. Prevention also includes addressing socio-economic and racial/ethnic inequalities that impact access to oral healthcare and education. . 

Find out more about how evidenced-based preventive practices can address gaps in oral healthcare and reduce the prevalence of dental caries and other oral health conditions in this review of published research. 

Women, Infants and Children <5

2020 - Preventing Chronic Disease. Oral Health  Behaviors in Very Young Children in Low-Income Urban Areas in Chicago, Illinois, 2018-2019     

Children and Adolescents

2021 - Journal of the American Dental Association. Oral health needs among youth with a history of foster care   

2020 - Preventing Chronic Disease. Racial/Ethnic   Disparities Among US Children and Adolescents in Use of Dental Care 

2018 - Pediatrics. Racial and ethnic   disparities in medical and dental health, access to care, and use of services   in US children   

2017 - Journal of American Dental Association. Trends in dental caries in children and adolescents according   to poverty status in the United States from 1999 through 2004 and from 2011   through 2014   

2013 - International Journal for Equity in Health. Trends in racial/ethnic disparities in medical and oral health,   access to care, and use of services in US children: has anything changed over   the years?   

2012 - Journal of Dental Research.  Inequalities in dental attendance throughout the life-course.    

2011 - Journal of the American Dental Association. Exploring socioeconomic disparities in self-reported oral   health among adolescents in California.    

2010 - Social Science & Medicine.  Social inequalities in childhood dental caries: the convergent roles of   stress, bacteria and disadvantage   

2010 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Socioeconomic factors in adolescents' oral health: are they   mediated by oral hygiene behaviors or preventive interventions?   

2000 -  JAMA. Disparities in children's oral health and   access to dental care   

1999 -   International Journal of Epidemiology. The effect   of water fluoridation and social inequalities on dental caries in 5-year-old   children    

Working Age Adults

2022 - PLoS One. Oral health inequality in Canada, the United States and United Kingdom.

2020 - Annual Review of Public Health.   Disparities in Access to Oral Health Care 

2020 - Preventing Chronic Disease. Oral Health and COVID-19: Increasing the Need for Prevention and Access   

2018 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. The role of municipal public policies in oral health   socioeconomic inequalities in Brazil: A multilevel study.    

2018 - Journal of Dental Research.   Racial Inequalities in Oral Health    

2018 - Journal of Dental Research.  Reducing Indigenous Oral Health Inequalities: A Review from 5 Nations   

2016 - JAMA. Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequalities   

2015 - Journal of Dental Research. Socioeconomic inequality and caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.    

2014 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Socioeconomic inequalities in the use of dental care services   in Europe: what is the role of public coverage?   

2012 - The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. Dietary, self-reported oral health and socio-demographic predictors of general health status among older adults   

 2007 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. The independent contribution of neighborhood disadvantage and   individual-level socioeconomic position to self-reported oral health: a  multilevel analysis.    

2007 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Theoretical explanations for social inequalities in oral health   

2007 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. From Victim blaming to upstream action: tackling the social   determinants of oral health inequalities   

2006 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Evaluating the role of dental behaviour in oral health   inequalities.     

Older Adults

2020 - International Journal of Environmental Research and   Public Health. Inequalities in Untreated Root   Caries and Affordability of Dental Services among Older American Adults  

2017 - American Journal of Public Health. Racial/Ethnic Minority Older Adults' Perspectives on Proposed   Medicaid Reforms' Effects on Dental Care Access 

2012 - The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. Dietary, self-reported oral health and socio-demographic predictors of general health status among older adults  

2012 - The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. Dietary, self-reported oral health and socio-demographic predictors of general health status among older adults  

2011 - Journal of Dental Research.  Income-related inequalities in dental service utilization by Europeans aged   50+ 

Women, Infants and Children <5

2020 -   Public Health Nutrition. Ultra-processed foods and   early childhood caries in 0-3-year-olds enrolled at Primary Healthcare   Centers in Southern Brazil    

2015 - NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine. Saving Lives at Birth: Primary Prevention of Periodontal Disease in Relation to Preterm Birth in Malawi (PPaX)

2011 – Journal of Dental Research. Oral Health and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes – What’s Next?

2006 – Maternal Child Health Journal. Oral Health in Women During Preconception and Pregnancy: Implications for Birth Outcomes and Infant Oral Health 

1984 - Archives of Oral   Biology. The effect of caries-preventive measures in mothers on dental caries   and the oral presence of the bacteria Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli   in their children     

Children and Adolescents

2021 - The Journal of the American Dental Association, Impact of school sealant programs on oral health among youth and identification of potential barriers to implementation

2018 -   Preventive Medicine. Multilevel model to estimate   county-level untreated dental caries among US children aged 6-9 years using   the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey    

2018 - American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Periodicity of Examination, Preventive Dental Services,   Anticipatory Guidance/Counseling, and Oral Treatment for Infants, Children,   and Adolescents   

2017 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Effectiveness of oral health education on oral hygiene and dental caries in schoolchildren: Systematic review and meta-analysis

2017 - International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry. A systematic review of the effects of supervised toothbrushing on caries incidence in children and adolescents

2016 - Cochrane Database of Systematic Review. Pit and fissure sealants versus fluoride varnishes for   preventing dental decay in the permanent teeth of children and adolescents   

2016 - Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Vital Signs: Dental Sealant Use and Untreated Tooth Decay   Among U.S. School-Aged Children   

2014 - Pediatrics. Maintaining and   Improving the Oral Health of Young Children   

2014 - Pediatrics. Office-based   preventive dental program and statewide trends in dental caries   

2013 - Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine. Early childhood caries update: A review of causes, diagnoses,   and treatments   

2013 - Cochrane Database Systematic Review. Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and   adolescents   

2010 - Journal of Dental Research. Caries   in five-year-old children and associations with family-related factors    

2006 - Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.  Early childhood caries: current evidence for aetiology and prevention   

2002 - Journal of Dental Research.   Predicting careis in permanent teeth from caries in primary teeth: an   eight-year cohort study     

Working Age Adults

2018 -   Journal of Public Health Dentistry. Evidence of effectiveness of preventive dental care in reducing dental treatment use and   related expenditures.    

2017 - Journal of Clinical Periodontology. Prevention and control of dental caries and periodontal   diseases at individual and population level: consensus report of group 3 of   joint EFP/ORCA workship on the boundaries between caries and periodontal   diseases   

2016 - National Academy of Medicine.  Dental Caries Management in Children and Adults    

2014 - General Dentistry. Which is a   stronger indicator of dental caries: oral hygiene, food, or beverage? A   clinical study   

2011 - Journal of the California Dental Association. Validation of the CDA CAMBRA caries risk assessment - a   six-year retrospective study    

2004 - Public Health Nutrition.   Diet, nutrition and the prevention of dental diseases.   

Older Adults  

Women, Infants and Children <5

2019 -   Journal of Public Health Dentistry. Projecting the   economic impact of silver diamie fluoride on caries treatment expenditures   and outcomes in young U.S. children   

2019 - Caries research. Fluoride   Varnish and Dental Caries in Preschoolers: A Systematic Review and   Meta-Analysis.    

2018 - Journal of Dentistry. Caries   arrest by topical fluorides in preschool children: 30-month results.    

2014 - Journal of the American Dental Association. Fluoride toothpaste efficacy and safety in children younger   than 6 years: a systematic review.    

2008 - Journal of Dental Research.  Fluoride Varnish Efficacy in Preventing Early Childhood Caries.     

Children and Adolescents

2018 - BMC Oral Health. Consequences   of community water fluoridation cessation for Medicaid-eligible children and   adolescents in Juneau, Alaska    

2018 - Journal of Dental Research.  Water Fluoridation and Dental Caries in U.S. Children and Adolescents   

2017 - Preventing Chronic Disease.   Absence of Fluoride Varnish-Related Adverse Events in Caries Prevention   Trials in Young Children, United States   

2017 - Pediatric Dentistry. Use of   Silver Diamine Fluoride for Dental Caries Management in Children and   Adolescents, Including Those with Special Health Care Needs.    

2015 - The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries

2014 - Pediatrics. Fluoride use in   caries prevention in the primary care setting.    

2013 - The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Fluoride toothpastes for preventing dental caries in children   and adolescents.    

2013 - The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Fluoride varnishes for   preventing dental caries in children and adolescents    

2011 - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Fluoride supplements (tablets, drops, lozenges or chewing gums) for preventing dental caries in children

Working Age Adults

2020 - Journal of Dentistry. Effectiveness of in vitro primary coronal caries prevention with silver diamine fluoride - Chemical vs. biofilm models.    

2019 - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries.    

2014 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Fluoride effectiveness in high caries risk and medically complex Veterans.    

2013 - Journal of the American Dental Association. Topical fluoride for caries prevention: executive summary of   the updated clinical recommendations and supporting systematic review.    

2011 - Monographs in Oral Science.   Mechanisms of action of fluoride for caries control.    

2006 - Journal of the American Dental Association. Professionally applied topical fluoride: evidence-based   clinical recommendations.    

2004 - Medical Principles and Practice.   Fluoride varnishes in caries prevention   

1999 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Prevention and reversal of dental caries: role of low level   fluoride.     

Older Adults

Women, Infants and Children <5

Children and Adolescents

2019 -   Dental Clinics of North America. Added Sugar and   Dental Caries in Children: A Scientific Update and Future Steps   

2010 - Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. Long-term effectiveness of a nutritional program in reducing early childhood caries: a randomized trial 

2005 - Journal of Public Health Dentistry. The roles of meal, snack, and daily total food and beverage   exposures on careis experience in young children     

Working Age Adults

2019 -   Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.   Environmental interventions to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened   beverages and their effects on health.    

2019 - Caries Research. Sugar   Restriction for Caries Prevention: Amount and Frequency. Which Is More   Important?   

2019 - European Journal of Public Health. The impact of sugar-sweetened beverages tax on oral health and costs of dental care   in Australia.    

2017 - Community Dental Health.   Sugar before bed: a simple dietary risk factor for caries experience.    

2016 - Advances in Nutrition. Sugars   and Dental Caries: Evidence for Setting a Recommended Threshold for Intake   

2016 - Journal of Dental Research.   Effects of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages on Caries and Treatment   Costs    

2015 - Journal of Dental Research. Diet   and Dental Caries: The Pivotal Role of Free Sugars Reemphasized.    

2014 - Journal of Dental Research.  Effect on caries of restricting sugars intake: systematic review to inform WHO guidelines.    

2014 - The American Journal on Clinical Nutrition. Added sugars and periodontal disease in young adults: an   analysis of NHANES III data   

2013 -   Journal of the American Dental Association. Preventing dental caries associated with sugar-sweetened beverages   

2007 - Journal of Applied Oral Science. Sugar-free chewing gum and dental caries: a systematic review   

1994 - The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Carbohydrates and dental health.    

Older Adults 

Women, Infants and Children <5

Children and Adolescents

2022 - Frontiers in Oral Health. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Role of Sugar-Free Chewing Gum on Plaque Quantity in the Oral Cavity

2021 - BMC Oral Health. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of sugar-free chewing gum on Streptococcus mutans

2017 - American Journal of Dentistry.  A global approach to assess the economic benefits of increased consumption of sugar-free chewing gum

2016 - British Dental Journal.  Oral health promotion: the economic benefits   to the NHS of increased use of sugarfree gum in the UK   

2012 - International Journal of Dental Hygiene. The effect of sugar-free chewing gum on plaque and clinical parameters of gingival inflammation: a systematic review

Working Age Adults

2023 - Frontiers in Oral Health. A concise review of chewing gum as an anti-cariogenic agent

2020 -   JDR Clinical and Translational Research. A   Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Role of Sugar-Free Chewing Gum in   Dental Caries   

2019 - Brazilian Nursing Journal. Effect of chewing gum on thirst: an integrative review

2019 - JDR clinical and translational research. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Role of Sugar-Free Chewing Gum in Dental Caries

2012 - Journal of the Irish Dental Association. The oral health benefits of chewing gum

1999 - Critical reviews in oral biology and medicine. Chewing gum-facts and fiction: a review of gum-chewing and oral health

Older Adults

2023 - BMC Oral Health. The effect of gum chewing on xerostomia and salivary flow rate in elderly and medically compromised subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Women, Infants and Children <5

Children and Adolescents

Working Age Adults

2018 -   Applied nursing research. Reducing missed oral   care opportunities to prevent non-ventilator associated hospital acquired   pneumonia at the Department of Veterans   

2015 - Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia with Oral Care in   Individuals Without Mechanical Ventilation: A systematic Review and   Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials    

2014 - Journal Nursing Scholarship.  Basic nursing care to prevent nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia     

Older Adults