MECHANICAL oral hygiene procedures to remove dental plaque, including tooth brushing and flossing, unequivocally enhance periodontal health because the ‘secret’ to avoiding dental disease is the effective control of the plaque. Gingivitis, although nearly universal among children and adults, is reversible.  Periodontitis, a more serious condition, can lead to irreversible and progressive loss of bone and soft tissue that support teeth. In fact, most teeth are lost due to gum disease and not tooth decay.
In addition to removing bacterial plaque by tooth brushing and flossing, other interdental aids and methods of sub-gingival irrigation and professional scaling and polishing are helpful in prevention and control of periodontal diseases.
Chemotherapeutic agents such as chlorhexidine and the antibiotic, tetracycline also have been shown to be beneficial. However, the effective and efficient use of available procedures to prevent and control periodontal diseases depends on commercial availability, provider encouragement, and individual psychosocial and family lifestyle factors.
In addition to contributing to gum disease, the use of tobacco products in any form is a major risk factor for cancers of the mouth and throat. Depending on the amount and type of tobacco used, there is a fourfold to fifteen-fold increase in risk of developing these types of cancers. The most common sites are tongue, lip, floor of the mouth, soft palate, tonsils, salivary glands, and back of the throat.
In the United States, more than 90 per cent of all oral and pharyngeal (throat) cancers occur in individuals over age 45. Like many other cancers, risk increases with age. Cigarette smokers who smoke  more than one pack a day are 1.5 times more likely than light smokers to develop oral cancers.
Although U.S. men are more likely than U.S. women to have oral cancer, there is concern that oral cancer in women will rise because of their increased use of tobacco products. In addition, the increase in smokeless tobacco use has been associated with an increase in oral cancers in younger populations.
It should be noted that alcohol consumption also is associated with oral and mouth cancers. Because heavy smokers frequently also drink alcoholic beverages, separating the effects of the two risk factors is difficult. The risk for oral and throat cancers appears to be higher among those who both smoke  and drink alcohol. Never starting these vices is the best approach to preventing oral and mouth cancers.
For those who have used, or continue to use, tobacco, you should periodically be screened  by your dentist for early detection of cancerous lesions. As with most other cancers, early detection is more likely to lead to successful treatment of the lesion.
Another factor to seriously consider in the quest for oral health is the prevention of injury to the mouth and oral structures. Such can be avoided by taking individual and collective steps to make school, playground, and home environments safe. For example, using mouth protectors during contact sports and wearing a helmet while riding bicycles and motorcycles provide protection against head and mouth injuries, which frequently result in loss of teeth and broken jaws. Appropriate use of seatbelts and child restraints in cars also reduce injuries to the head and mouth. Spousal and/or child abuse that can result in traumatic mouth and face injuries requires preventative interventions, both at the interpersonal and societal levels.
One condition which, although usually not pathological in etiology, is an oral condition that can, depending on severity, result in a perceived or actual dysfunction lack of social acceptability of appearance or self-esteem.  This condition is called malocclusion, crooked teeth or ‘bad-bite’. Therefore, malocclusion deserves attention in the socio-dental sciences and in the development of oral health promotion policy.
The policy for preventing malocclusion is limited. However, appropriate use of fluorides and, in some cases, dental sealants would help prevent premature loss of primary teeth due to dental caries, which is a substantial problem in some countries and population sub-groups. Other efforts have focused on tooth extraction and use of space-maintaining appliances to compensate for loss of primary teeth due to dental caries.