Sometimes referred to as dental public health, community oral health is an established specialty in parts of Europe and the UK whose practitioners consider dentistry in relation to populations and communities as opposed to individual patient care. The second edition of this popular textbook offers a comprehensive, up-to-date understanding of community oral health issues, providing many more examples, illustrations, and perspectives from around the world. Written by leading international experts in the field of oral public health, it addresses topics such as principles and practices of public health, the primary health care approach, inequalities in oral health, assessment of oral health needs and demands, community-based strategies for prevention, and much more. Ideal for undergraduates, postgraduates, and general practitioners interested in how the health systems in which they operate affect the care they can provide.

532 pp; 107 illus; (20 in color);

ISBN: 978-1-85097-162-7; 9781850971627;

Table of Contents

Section 1: Planning Oral Health Programmes for Populations
1. Principles and Practice of Public Health
2. The Primary Health Care Approach
3. Inequalities in Oral Health: the Social Context for Oral Health
4. Oral Health Needs Assessment
5. Reviewing Assisting Data: Appraising the Evidence
6. The Management of Change

Section 2: Design and Use of Systems to Monitor Oral Health
7. Principles and Methods of Oral Epidemiology
8. Issues in Statistics Relevant to the Design and Analysis of Community Oral Health Studies
9a. Public Health Aspects of Oral Diseases and Disorders: Dental Caries
9b. Public Health Aspects of Oral Diseases and Disorders: Periodontal Diseases
9c. Public Health Aspects of Oral Diseases and Disorders: Oral Cancer
9d. Public Health Aspects of Oral Diseases and Disorders: Dental Trauma
9e. Public Health Aspects of Oral Diseases and Disorders: Developmental Enamel Defects
9f. Public Health Aspects of Oral Diseases and Disorders: Dentofacial Irregularities
9g. Public Health Aspects of Oral Diseases and Disorders: Tooth Wear
10. Trends in Oral Health

Section 3: Selection of Interventions and Strategies to Prevent Oral Disease and Promote Oral Health
11. Principles of Oral Health Promotion
12. Theory-based approaches to the Planning and Evaluation of Oral Health Education Programmes
13. Nutrition, Dietary Guidelines and Food Policy
14. Practical Aspects of Oral Health Promotion
15. Community-based Strategies for Preventing Dental Caries
16. Water Fluoridation

Section 4: Commissioning and Evaluation of Dental Health Services
17. The Principles of Organisation and Models of Delivery of Oral Health Care
18a. Varieties of Oral Health Care Systems: Compulsory Dental Health Insurance Program in Belgium
18b. Varieties of Oral Health Care Systems: Public Dental Services: Organisation and Financing of Oral Health Care Services in the Nordic Countries
18c. Varieties of Oral Health Care Systems: Predominantly Private Dental Care: Delivery of Oral Health Care in the United States
18d. Varieties of Oral Health Care Systems: Emerging market Economies: Delivery of Oral Health Care in China
19. Principles and Practice of Health Economics

Forward
Despite great improvements in the oral health status of populations across the world, oral diseases continue to be a major public health problem. Oral diseases make significant contributions to the global burden o disease, which is particularly high in the underprivileged groups in both developed and developing countries. At present, the distribution of and severity of oral diseases vary in different parts of the world, and within the same country or region; and the important role of sociobehavioural and enviromental factors in oral disease and health is demonstrated in a large number of epidemilogical surveys. Poor living conditions, unhealthy lifestyles and limited availability of, and access to preventive-oriented oral health services represent the major risks to oral health. Thus, reducing inequality in health and ensuring equity in oral health care remain essential issues in a policy for health for all.

Oral diseases and conditions, including dental diseases, oral cancer, oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS, oro-dental trauma, craniofacial anomalies, and noma (cancrum oris), all have broad impacts on health and quality of life. In addition, in many countries the economic burden on patients and society is high as traditional restorative dental care or treatment of disease is costly. However, the good news is that oral diseases are largely avoidable. Prevention is cost-effective and sound experience in oral health promotion has been gained worldwide. We have sufficient knowledge about the causes of most oral diseases for public health action, and the major challenges of the future will be to translate knowledge and experiences of disease prevention and health promotion into action programmes. It is globally observable that advances in oral health science have not yet benefited the poor and disadvantaged population groups, and development or adjustment of public health programmes and systems for oral health are urgently needed.

The 2nd edition of Community Oral Health provides the essential information for public health practice. Focusing on the basic principles of public health as they apply to oral health, the chapters outline the approaches to community oral health analysis, systematic approaches in oral disease prevention and health promotion, the design of cost-effective intervention programmes, planning and evaluation, oral health systems capacity building and adjustment, and community oral health research.

As well as providing the evidence in community oral health for oral health professionals, this new book is the most valuable tool for training undergraduate and graduate students in public health. The high-level chapters will be unique instruments in the work by public health practitioners for health for all globally, and the state-of-the-science in international oral health will facilitate the communication across countries for better health.

Poul Erik Petersen
Professor, Chief, Global Oral Health Programme
World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

Preface
This new second edition is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the field of Community Oral Health. Chapters are organised into four sections, broadly relating to the principles of public health, epidemiology, oral health promotion, and health services. The titles of these four sections relate to core competencies of dental public health set out by the American Board of Dental Public Health.

This textbook is an international book. Contributors are experts in their field drawn from Europe, America, and China. Examples given in the text describe circumstances in a range of oral health systems, both in developed, and developing countries.

The new format is designed to allow the reader to use the book both as teaching and learning material were whole chapters provide an overview of an area, and as a resource allowing the graduate or Dental Public Health trainee to dip into specific topics on a stand-alone basis. Key words are given at the start of the chapter, and then highlighted in bold in the text to guide the reader quickly to relevant sections. Boxes highlighting main points expounded in the text provide a simple summary of the content.

In order to enhance the sue of the book as a teaching and learning tool, a ‘key question’ is given at the end of each chapter. Answering the question requires the student to have assimilated the content of the chapter, and have understood how the concepts would be applied in the everyday practice of Community Oral Health. The answers to the questions are given in a separate section at the end of the book, to allow the student to use the questions for testing their knowledge and understanding. There are comprehensive references to faciliate further exploration of the subject discussed and some recommendations for further reading. We hope you find the book an informative and stimulating read.

Edited by
Cynthia Pine
Professor of Dental Public Health & Primary Dental Care
University of Liverpool, England
Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research in Community Oral Health

Rebecca Harris
Senior Lecturer, Dental Public Health and Primary Dental Care
University of Liverpool, England