Promoting Self-Protective Health Behaviors in Dentistry

In this article, we review recent health promotion research in dentistry. The research is divided into four conceptually distinct categories: (a) how to change individual patient behavior using one-to-one approaches, (b) how to influence the dental behaviors of individuals using community-wide approaches, (c) how to persuade practitioners to encourage their patients to adopt self-protective behaviors, and (d) why practitioners might change their own self-protective behaviors. We conclude by describing needed research into basic processes in self-regulation, relapse prevention, persuasion, decision-making, and illness appraisal and coping.