There are several factors at play when your patients develop oral cavity problems. While good oral hygiene is essential and it is well known that preventive efforts are crucial in determining whether a patient develops an oral disease, this factor alone does not determine the onset and course of the disease.

Rather, it is a combination of lifestyle, including preventive dentistry, genetics, immune system, and, as a very important factor, the bacterial composition of the oral cavity should be addressed. All factors interact and therefore cannot be considered in isolation or ignored when looking at disease etiology and treatment interventions in dentistry.

Personal dental hygiene and preventive dentistry in clinics have significantly improved dental status and oral health and will continue to be an important part of the response.

Systemic diseases and medical treatment also have a major impact on oral health. Information on the patient's general health, medication use, and lifestyle factors should therefore be included in the assessment of the patient's oral health status. Diseases of the oral cavity influence the development of several systemic diseases, just as systemic diseases influence the oral health status.

Read more about bacterial balance and a healthy biofilm in the biofilm section.

In a disease like periodontitis, the four determinants are seen to play a role in disease development and prognosis.

Read more about periodontitis and the four pieces BACTERIA, GENETICS, IMMUNE SYSTEM, and LIFESTYLE, which are important factors in the development of the disease in periodontology.