Elements in oral health programs.

Demographically, dental caries remains the single most common disease of childhood. Various campaigns have been carried out to promote and to improve the oral health of children. However, the prevalence of dental caries was still more than 50% in many communities. This article reviews different approaches used in dental health programs in industrialized and developing countries. To build a comprehensive oral health preventive program, three elements are essential. They are oral health education/instruction, primary prevention measures and secondary prevention measures.