Welcome to the EFP Press area!

You should change your toothbrush or brush head regularly every two to three months to ensure optimal cleaning performance. As soon as the bristles are frayed, bent, or flat, their effectiveness decreases. Worn bristles remove plaque less effectively and allow bacteria to accumulate; therefore, an earlier change is necessary after illness (such as a cold or flu) or if there is visible wear and tear.

Tips for extending the service life:

• Rinse the brush thoroughly with water after each use.
• Allow the toothbrush to air dry in an upright position.
• Brush with gentle pressure to protect the bristles.

The following videos explain various oral-hygiene techniques and treatments for gingivitis, periodontitis, and peri-implantitis. https://www.efp.org/for-patients/gum-diseases/video-resources/

Mouthwash is not necessary for everyone, as long as you clean your teeth properly. According to guidelines from the EFP, the most important part of daily oral care is mechanical plaque removal. This means brushing your teeth twice a day and cleaning between your teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes.

Mouthwash can be used as an additional measure, but it does not replace toothbrushing or interdental cleaning. According to the guidelines, certain mouthwashes — especially those containing antibacterial ingredients—are intended for short-term use only, for example after active periodontal therapy, or following oral surgical procedures. In summary, mouthwash is optional and should be used only as an extra measure when needed. Your dentist or dental hygienist can advise you whether a mouthwash is beneficial for you and which type is most appropriate.

For most people, it is recommended to see a dentist once or twice a year for a routine check-up and professional cleaning. However, the ideal frequency depends on your individual oral health:

• If you have healthy teeth and gums, one or two visits per year may be sufficient.
• If you have gum disease, frequent cavities, implants, or other risk factors, your dentist may recommend visits every 3–6 months.
• Children, older adults, and people with medical conditions such as diabetes may also need more frequent check-ups.

Regular dental visits help detect problems early, prevent more serious disease, and keep your teeth and gums healthy. Your dentist will advise you on how often you should come based on your personal needs.

Bad breath (also called halitosis) is very common and usually comes from the mouth. The most frequent cause is bacteria that build up on the teeth, gums, and especially on the tongue. These bacteria break down food particles and release unpleasant-smelling gases. Other common causes, in addition to poor oral hygiene and gum disease, include dry mouth (for example due to dehydration, mouth breathing, or certain medications), smoking, and foods such as garlic or onions. In some cases, bad breath can also be related to medical conditions like sinus infections, acid reflux, or diabetes.

With proper cleaning and regular care, bad breath can usually be effectively prevented. The most important step is good daily oral hygiene:

• Brush your teeth twice a day
• Clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes
• Clean your tongue, as bacteria often collect there

Drinking enough water helps prevent dry mouth. Regular dental check-ups are important, because gum disease or untreated cavities are common hidden causes of bad breath. If bad breath persists despite good oral care, a dentist or doctor can help identify and treat the underlying cause.

Oral health is closely connected to your overall health. The mouth is not separate from the rest of the body — conditions in the mouth can influence general health.

It is now known that untreated periodontal disease can have serious consequences for general health. When the gums are inflamed, bacteria and inflammatory substances can enter the bloodstream and this is associated with an increased risk of suffering diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and complications in pregnancy (pre-eclampsia, premature birth and low birth weight). In people with diabetes, gum disease can make blood sugar control more difficult, while poorly controlled diabetes can worsen gum inflammation.

In fact, periodontitis has been linked with more than fifty diseases and conditions, including chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain types of cancer.

Maintaining good oral health through daily toothbrushing, interdentalcleaning, a healthy diet, and regular dental visits helps reduce inflammation and supports overall health. Taking care of your mouth is therefore an important part of taking care of your whole body.

A new global system for the classification of periodontal health, diseases, and conditions, as well as peri-implant diseases and conditions, was introduced in 2018 at EuroPerio 9 in Amsterdam, the world’s leading congress for periodontology and implant dentistry. This comprehensive classification is based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence and introduces, for periodontitis, a staging and grading system. This system describes the severity and extent of the disease while also taking into account the patient’s age at disease onset and general health status.

Developing the new classification was a major but essential undertaking that established a common international language for clinical care, research, and education, and updated the 1999 classification to reflect the significant scientific advances of the past 20 years. The new classification is the result of a joint workshop organized by the European Federation of Periodontology and the American Academy of Periodontology. More than 100 experts from Europe, the USA, Australia, and Asia participated, reviewed the available evidence, and worked toward a global consensus to enable standardized patient care worldwide.

For the first time, the new classification clearly defines what clinical periodontal health means. Periodontitis is divided into four stages, ranging from Stage 1 (least severe) to Stage 4 (most severe). Disease risk and progression are categorized into three grades, from Grade A (low risk) to Grade C (high risk). Grading takes into account important risk factors such as smoking and the presence of systemic conditions like diabetes. This classification aims to enable a globally consistent approach to diagnosis and management and ultimately to improve treatment outcomes for patients worldwide.

See more: https://www.efp.org/education/continuing-education/perio-classification/

In 2019, the EFP launched an elaborate project to create treatment guidelines, which was the first of its kind in dentistry. The EFP thus provided clear recommendations for the individual treatment steps at the highest level of evidence. This required systematic research, selection and evaluation of scientific evidence on the relevant clinical issues. Finally, the recommendations were agreed by a group of experts. Medical guidelines are systematically developed, scientifically based and practice-oriented decision-making aids that are intended to support dentists and members of other healthcare professions and patients in their decisions on appropriate healthcare.  This ground-breaking work is considered a milestone for the treatment of periodontitis, as it provides structured recommendations for an entire systematic therapy. In the following years, the EFP published further guidelines at the highest level of evidence, setting new standards for evidence-based dentistry.

Read more: https://www.efp.org/education/continuing-education/clinical-guidelines/

Guidelines from the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) play an important role in shaping oral health policy across Europe and beyond. The EFP develops evidence-based clinical guidelines and consensus reports that summarize the best available scientific knowledge on the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. These documents are widely regarded as a scientific reference standard. At the public health level, EFP guidelines inform:

• Preventive strategies for gum disease
• Recommendations for professional dental care and maintenance
• Health promotion messages linking oral health with general health (for example, diabetes and cardiovascular disease)

Policymakers, health authorities, and insurance providers often use these guidelines as a foundation when designing national oral health programs, reimbursement systems, and prevention campaigns. In addition, the guidelines have transformed periodontal therapy across Europe. By introducing standardized, evidence-based concepts for diagnosis, risk assessment, active treatment, and long-term supportive care, the EFP guidelines have fundamentally changed how periodontitis is managed. As a result, uniform treatment standards were established across Europe, improving consistency, quality of care, and comparability of periodontal therapy between different countries and healthcare systems.

EFP guidelines are adapted at the national level to fit different healthcare systems. In Germany, for example, this process was led by the national society DG PARO and involved a broad group of stakeholders, including 36 professional societies and patient organizations. The guideline was carefully reviewed and partly modified to ensure it works within the German healthcare system. This means it is not just a translation, but a country-specific adaptation. The adaptation process was methodologically supported by the Institute for Medical Knowledge Management (AWMF) ensuring a high scientific and methodological standard.

There are well-established links between periodontitis and several other diseases that can have serious consequences for general health. For years the EFP has been conducting awareness campaigns and publicity campaigns, scientific initiatives as well as collaborations to raise public awareness of the link between oral health and general health.

Diabetes

There is a two-way relationship between periodontitis and type-2 diabetes: people with periodontitis have a higher risk of diabetes and patients with diabetes are three times more likely to develop periodontal disease.

There are higher levels of insulin resistance in people with periodontitis and controlling diabetes is more complicated when a patient also has periodontitis.

People who have both diabetes and periodontitis are at greater risk of suffering some severe medical complications – including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and retinopathy – than people who have diabetes alone.

The treatment of one disease has been shown to have a positive effect on the treatment of the other. For instance, periodontal treatment in people with diabetes results in a significant reduction in blood sugar (glycated haemoglobin, HbA1c) levels.

It is important that people with diabetes are examined by a dentist to see if they have periodontitis and patients with periodontitis should be tested for diabetes by their doctor. 

 

For more information:  www.efp.org/for-patients/gum-disease-general-health/perio-diabetes/

Cardiovascular disease

Periodontitis is associated with several forms of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and may be a preventable risk factor for suffering these diseases.

Gum disease is a chronic condition that may make it harder to prevent CVD and it may even aggravate CVD in patients who already have the disease.

There is evidence that periodontal treatment and correct oral hygiene helps in the prevention of CVD. For instance, patients who brush their teeth twice a day and have a good oral-health routine may have less risk of acute CVD events.

Periodontal treatment in CVD patients is safe, although in some cases – where patients receive anti-coagulant or anti-platelet therapy – safe haemostatic measures need to be taken.

For more information: https://www.efp.org/for-patients/gum-disease-general-health/perio-cardio/

Problems in pregnancy

During pregnancy, increased hormonal levels can affect the way that the body reacts to dental plaque and this can lead to swollen and bleeding gums (gingivitis) and to the more serious form of gum disease known as periodontitis.

Associations between gum disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes have been demonstrated: a pregnant woman with poor gum health runs a greater risk of suffering from pre-eclampsia, of giving birth prematurely, and of giving birth to an underweight child.

Maintaining oral health and gum health during pregnancy is crucial both for pregnant women themselves and for their unborn children.

For more information: www.efp.org/for-patients/gum-disease-general-health/oral-health-pregnancy/

Other diseases

Periodontitis has been linked with more than fifty diseases and conditions, including chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain types of cancer.

For more information check out the EFP-campaigns:https://www.efp.org/for-patients/home/