Abstract:
The question of wellness was explored in Part 15 of this series,
based on the definition of health proposed by the World Health
Organization (WHO). However that description is now over 70
years old and does not fully address the more holistic approach
to oral health, first proposed by Dolan in 1993, which defines oral
health as “having a comfortable and functional dentition that allows
individuals to continue their social life”. Others have added
that “It is the ability to chew and eat the full range of foods native
to the diet, to speak clearly, to have a socially acceptable smile
and dento-facial profile, to have a fresh breath and to be comfortable
and free from pain”. In 2016 the FDI proposed that “Oral
health is multi-faceted and includes the ability to speak, smile,
smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow and convey a range of emotions
through facial expressions with confidence and without pain
or discomfort and disease of the craniofacial complex”. For most
clinicians and patients, this may have seemed like an unrealistic
and unattainable ideal. It was thus later modified by adding the
proviso that: “It (sic. Oral health) is influenced by the individual’s
changing experiences, perceptions, expectations and ability to
adapt to circumstances”.
In the endeavour to secure oral health for a patient the dental
practitioner may invoke any of the many ways of treating pain and
disease, but a frequent choice is with medication – in particular
antibiotics and analgesics. This may be prior to, in place of, in
conjunction with, or after some form of physical intervention. A
poignant question is: which is the best treatment for each situation,
i.e. what to do and when?
