Possibilities of Oral Health Care by Dental Hygienist

—Role of Dental Hygienist in Control of Oral Infectious Diseases—

Abstract

Since “Oral Health for a Healthy Life” was the theme of World Health Day held in Tokyo at 1994, the importance of oral health has been emphasized. In this review, the author emphasized the role of the dental hygienist in oral health care. Ecological characteristics and pathological factors of oral bacteria were discussed. Although more than 300 bacterial species can be found in the human oral cavity, a limited number of bacterial species show pathogenicity in this region. Most of them have their own adhesive factors including fimbrial structure. Cariogenic bacteria such as mutans streptococcus produce water insoluble polysaccharide from sucrose, which plays an important role in colonization and cariogenicity. A noncariogenic sugar substrate, xylitol, is an attractive sugar for preventing root surface caries in the elderly. In order to remove and clean, mechanical debridement is very important. Proffessional plaque control by dental hygienist is very effective. Usefulness of antimicrobial rise such as Listerine was also discussed. Chronic oral infectious diseases are known to cause secondary problems such as nephritis and arthritis. Furthermore, oral bacterial species often cause many kinds of systemic infectious diseases such as pneumonia and bacterial endocarditis. It is well known that keeping of oral cavity clean is the most effective method for preventing not only oral infectious diseases but also the systemic diseases described above.
In conclusion, dental hygienists can play an important role in oral health care, especially in the control of oral infectious diseases.