Advocating the use of interdental brushing rather than inefficacious flossing is one of the key recommendations for oral health professionals arising from analysis of research on the prevention of gum disease.

The guidelines, released in April's Journal of Clinical Periodontology (JCP), reinforces the need for professionals to give correct instructions to patients on self-performed hygiene actions. The conclusions of the XI European Workshop in Periodontology will also call for public campaigns to warn about gum bleeding as a symptom of disease. The workshop presents statistics which warns of 'an emerging public health issue.'

The evidence reviewed in this major research analysis includes plaque-removal methods, hygiene products, lifestyle factors, and other decisive elements with a bearing on the effective prevention of periodontal and peri-implant diseases.

It was drawn from worldwide research studies going back several years. More than 70 leading global periodontal and medical researchers reached a group consensus on this work last November, during four intense days in La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia, Spain, where the workshop was held.

Among the most significant conclusions are:

  • The daily use of inter-dental brushes (IDBs) have proven efficacy in maintaining gum health and are preferable to flossing wherever possible

  • Peri-implantitis is an emerging public-health issue

  • Call for public campaigns to warn about gum bleeding

  • Gum health requires professional advice and treatment – self-performed hygiene may not be sufficient for prevention

  • Halitosis: Clean your tongue and treat periodontitis. Tongue-resident bacteria and periodontal disease are the two main causes of bad breath.

Mariano Sanz, Chair of the XI European Workshop, said: 'The results of this workshop provide new insights and opportunities to re-organise preventive services and enhance their effectiveness in a variety of healthcare settings.'

That view was echoed by Maurizio Tonetti, XI Workshop working-group chair and Editor-in-chief of the JCP, who said: 'This workshop offers us the chance to regroup, rethink, and to put things in a new perspective. We hope to achieve a better level of impact in the European population.'