Dental Hygiene is a branch of Dentistry dealing with professional and home procedures to restore and maintain oral hygiene and health of the mouth.
Maneuvers of oral hygiene use mechanical procedures (brushing, flossing and scaling) and chemical devices (mouthwash, gel, local antiseptic), in order to control and reduce plaque and tartar accumulation as well as to decrease the number of bacteria in the oral cavity, that are responsible for halitosis.
Oral prophylaxis includes procedures and motivational activities to prevent the development of oral pathologies (e.g. decay, periodontitis, tumors), to change bad habits (e.g. unsatisfactory oral hygiene, incorrect diet) and to reduce risk factors responsible for some of the most common oral pathologies.
