Individual preventive care is the best protection against about 80 per cent of all dental diseases.

Prevention helps to avoid tooth decay, gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontitis (disease of the periodontal apparatus)—and thus also helps to avoid possible loss of teeth.

Inadequate dental hygiene has been proven to have an adverse effect on the occurrence of rheumatic disorders, heart disease and the course and treatment of general disorders such as diabetes for example. It makes it very difficult to achieve glycaemic control in diabetics. Transplant patients and patients suffering from high blood pressure also need an optimum level of hygiene, which is made more difficult by the administration of certain medicines, since gingival hyperplasia (gingival overgrowth) frequently occurs as a side-effect of these substances.

Prevention is often a very important component of follow-up care in treatments that have been successfully completed: it is a prerequisite as restorative care in any kind of periodontal treatment for achieving positive long-term results-as demonstrated in many scientific studies. Oral hygiene at home is not enough on its own in this case. The life expectancy for procedures using implants and all types of dentures (crowns, bridges, inlays, veneers, prostheses) is also increased considerably.

With adult patients the preventive care is carried out as part of professional tooth cleaning. This painless treatment is tailored to meet the needs of the individual patient and may include the following: coloured display of plaque and bacteria, evaluation of guidelines for oral hygiene and of inflammation parameters, education and motivation, advice on hygiene and nutrition, removal of tartar, concretion and plaque with ultrasound instruments that are gentle on the tissue, removal of any discolouration using air abrasive instruments, polishing, fluoride treatment. In addition it is possible to have your individual risk for tooth decay and periodontal disease assessed by means of a special genetic test procedure.