The Scientific Basis of Oral Health Education

The first edition of this classic text appeared in 1976 with the aim of refining and standardising the advice given to the public and to ensure that such advice was scientifically sound and evidence-based. It was written not only for members of the dental professions and those involved in general healthcare including medical practitioners, school nurses, health visitors, midwives, dieticians, pharmacists and public health practitioners, but also those who influence health in the wider community, such as teachers, child carers and peer educators. While originally written for a UK readership it became clear that it was used in other countries and that a new international edition was needed. To ensure that this new edition would reflect a consensus of international expert opinion and be relevant to a much broader readership, a panel of eminent experts was enlisted from as far afield as Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Switzerland and the USA. The text is consistent with current evidenceand guidance from the WHO, and includes comparative guidance from other countries and systematic reviews of research evidence from the Cochrane Collaboration database. It provides information and advice on the main aspects of oral health, including the cause and prevention of dental caries, periodontal disease, dental erosion, oral cancer and dental problems in children under five, and older people. Throughout the book, key points are given at the beginning of each chapter, with an indication of the strength of supporting scientific evidence using a simple scheme.

About the Author

Ronnie Levine , OBE, PhD, BChD, FDSRCS (Eng), graduated in dentistry from Leeds University (UK) in 1968, before moving to Birmingham to take a PhD in Oral Pathology. In 1971 he moved to Manchester as Lecturer and later Senior Research Fellow in Oral Medicine, finally severing his link in 1990. Apart from 30 years of part-time dental practice, his current appointments are the very diverse ones of Senior Tutor in Oral Surgery and Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Child Health, both at Leeds University. His research interests range from neonatal pathology and neuromotor disturbances to dental caries and fluoride. His main research interest during the last 20 years has been childhood obesity.

Catherine Stillman-Lowe MA (Cantab) began her professional career with the Health Education Council in 1985. She managed the Health Education Authority’s oral health education projects until leaving the NHS in 2001. Since then she has worked with a range of national voluntary sector organisations, writing and reviewing educational resources on a wide range of topics.  She is a patient reviewer for the British Medical Journal and has been a regular peer reviewer for the British Dental Journal.