Oral diseases, including dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancers, are among the most prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs), causing 74% of global mortality before age 70 each year [1,2,3]. They share risk factors with other major NCDs and significantly impair quality of life by causing pain, difficulty eating and speaking, and social challenges. Severe cases can lead to tooth loss, disfigurement, and systemic complications, reducing overall well-being and productivity. Community oral health often reflects broader patterns of access, education, and equity. These conditions can signal inconsistent care, chronic stress, or systemic barriers, making oral hygiene a visible marker of underlying challenges. Dental hygienists address these connections through clinical expertise, patient education, and advocacy [4]. Routine appointments become opportunities for empowerment, where preventive care supports long-termoral health management [4, 5]. Consistent oral hygiene requires daily effort, and dental providers guide patients in making home care practical, purposeful, and beneficial [3].
Registered Dental Hygienists serve multiple roles in public, private, and academic settings. They act as public health advocates, transforming routine care into meaningful education and bridgingclinical practice with community health [5,6]. Their work is grounded in principles of prevention, equity, and oral health awareness.
Although October marked National Dental Hygiene Month, oral health awareness remains a daily public health priority. Policy can mandate behavior change at the macro level, but micro-level interactions, such as chairside conversations, shape habits, build trust, and empower patients [5]. Dental hygienists operate at the intersection of clinical care and education, converting knowledge into action and prevention. Each patient encounter offers an opportunity to initiate a small-scale public health intervention. When a hygienist explains brushing techniques, addresses bleeding gums, or introduces oral self-examination, the interaction becomes a targeted strategy for disease prevention [5].
Like what you’re learning? Consider enrolling in the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC’s online, competency-based certificate or master’s program in Community Oral Health.
Hygienists emphasize control and prevention to achieve health outcomes and encourage patients to extend these practices to their families and communities. This diffusion of knowledge can transform individual education into collective awareness. Empowered patients often become secondary educators. A single conversation about home care techniques or product effectiveness can influence family routines, peer norms, and community expectations. Public health grows through shared knowledge, patient relationships, and repeated reinforcement of recommendations [5]. Effective education explains why oral hygiene matters and how it integrates into daily life. When these messages are consistently reinforced by professional voices, such as dental hygienists, they gain legitimacy and impact. Organizations like the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and the California Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA) strengthen this effort by promoting oral health care and policy recommendations.
Dental hygienists address oral health inequities through a multi-level approach: advocating upstream strategies to tackle root causes, supporting midstream programs that influence behaviors, and providing downstream individualized care. Since upstream efforts alone cannot eliminate disparities, they emphasize personalized interventions while engaging in community health initiatives within existing policy frameworks [6,7].
One practical tool in this effort is the Home Oral Self-Examination, a simple two-minute monthly routine that helps patients detect early signs of disease. In a well-lit bathroom with clean hands, individuals examine their face, lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, and teeth for changes, lumps, or discoloration. This practice builds self-awareness and reinforces preventive messages shared during dental visits. A self-exam is a small act with significant potential for public health impact.
Home Oral Self-Examination Steps: Two minutes a month keeps your mouth in check.
Perform this monthly routine in a well-lit bathroom with clean hands:
• Face: Check for swelling or color changes.
• Jaw and Neck: Gently feel for lumps or sore spots.
• Lips: Look for cracks, sores, or changes in color or texture.
• Inside the Mouth:
a. Lips and Cheeks: Pull back to check for white patches, ulcers, or red areas.
b. Gums: Look for bleeding, swelling, or color changes.
c. Tongue: Examine the top, sides, and underside for sores or discoloration.
d. Roof and Floor of Mouth: Tilt your head back to view the roof; lift your tongue to inspect the floor for lumps or color changes.
e. Teeth: Look for dark spots, chips, or trapped food.
This quick monthly check can help identify problems early, preventing serious complications and supporting long-term oral health.
Through education, advocacy, and prevention, dental hygienists transform everyday hygiene encounters into lasting public health impact. From clinics to classrooms and community centers, they champion healthier futures, demonstrating that prevention is powerful and education drives change.
Earn an Online Postgraduate Degree in Community Oral Health
Do you like learning about a variety of issues while focused on the unique needs of community health dental programs? Consider enrolling in the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC’s online, competency-based certificate or master’s program in Community Oral Health.
References
[1] M. R. Mathur et al., “Envisioning sustainable oral health through effective advocacy,” BMC global and public health, vol. 3, no. 1, Art. no. 15, 2025, doi: 10.1186/s44263-025-00133-1.
[2] Network GBoDC . Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019) Results. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation – IHME; 2020. [Google Scholar]
[3] D. Fu, X. Shu, G. Zhou, M. Ji, G. Liao, and L. Zou, “Connection between oral health and chronic diseases,” MedComm, vol. 6, no. 1, Art. no. e70052, 2025, doi: 10.1002/mco2.70052.
[4] M. Sanz et al., “Treatment of stage I–III periodontitis—The EFP S3 level clinical practice guideline,” Journal of clinical periodontology, vol. 47, no. S22, pp. 4–60, 2020, doi: 10.1111/jcpe.13290.
[5] M. C. Carra, L. Detzen, J. Kitzmann, J. P. Woelber, C. A. Ramseier, and P. Bouchard, “Promoting behavioural changes to improve oral hygiene in patients with periodontal diseases: A systematic review,” Journal of clinical periodontology, vol. 47, no. S22, pp. 72–89, 2020, doi: 10.1111/jcpe . 13234.
[6] J. Ahern, “Advancing Oral Health Equity through Medical-Dental Integration: Dental hygienists as catalysts for change in an evolving health care system,” Journal of dental hygiene, vol. 98, no. 3, pp. 8–12, 2024.
[7] E. Goldberg, J. Eberhard, A. Bauman, and B. J. Smith, “Mass media campaigns for the promotion of oral health: a scoping review,” BMC oral health, vol. 22, no. 1, Art. no. 182, 2022, doi: 10.1186/s12903-022-02212-3.
