Periodontal disease incidence, progression and rate of tooth loss in a general dental practice: the results of a 12-year retrospective analysis of patient's clinical records.

One of the main objectives of a general dental practice is to teach its patients how to reduce their oral bacterial load. In other words, by teaching good oral hygiene habits, it is possible to reduce the number of bacteria and hence the number of species of bacteria present in each patient's mouth. Thus by achieving a high level of oral hygiene, the dental team hope to reduce each patient's future risk of periodontal problems, and dental caries.