The Common Risk Factor Approach: a rational basis for promoting oral health

Conventional oral health education is not effective nor efficient. Many ora l health programmes are developed and implemented in isolation from other h ealth programmes. This often leads, at best to a duplication of effort, or worse, conflicting messages being delivered to the public. In addition, ora l health programmes tend to concentrate on individual behaviour change and largely ignore the influence of socio-political factors as the key determin ants of health. Based upon the general principles of health promotion this paper presents a rationale for an alternative approach for oral health poli cy. The common risk factor approach addresses risk factors common to many c hronic conditions within the context of the wider socio-environmental milie u. Oral health is determined by diet, hygiene, smoking, alcohol use, stress and trauma. As these causes are common to a number of other chronic diseas es, adopting a collaborative approach is more rational than one that is dis ease specific. The common risk factor approach can be implemented in a vari ety of ways. Food policy development and the Health Promoting Schools initi ative are used as examples of effective ways of promoting oral health.