THE BURDEN OF ORAL DISEASE
Why Prevention Needs to be a Priority
3.7 billion
Affected by oral disease worldwide¹
$710 billion
Global cost of oral disease²
90% +
U.S. adults have had cavities³
42%
U.S. adults with periodontitis³
13.2%
U.S. adults 65+ have lost all teeth³
TePe Prevention Compass™ Protocol
Prevention Compass™ Protocol is a pragmatic, 7-step chairside protocol for behavior change. It provides clinicians a recommendation model that incorporates behavioral change theories, neuroscience, and digital technology into a comprehensive path for lasting change. By shifting from transactional, prescriptive care to patient-centered collaboration, dental professionals can better align with patients to successfully prevent oral disease.
IDENTITY
Behavior change starts first with an identity change.
Chairside Actions:
Complete Medical and Dental History
Explore your patient's beliefs and attitudes toward oral health
Co-create a realistic "I am..." statement that reflects your patient's identity related to their oral health
ASSESSMENT
Assess every patient using multiple approaches.
Chairside Actions:
Assess teeth, gingiva, and periodontal tissues
Assess implants and peri-implant tissues
Utilize diagnostics, digital tools, and risk assessments
MOTIVATE
Make biofilm visible to highlight urgency.
Chairside Actions:
Disclosing solution to highlight biofilm
Intra-oral photography and digital scanning to show areas of concern
Link assessment data (i.e. bleeding, carious lesions) to areas of uncontrolled biofilm levels
TRAINING
Build capability by focusing on one small change.
Chairside Actions:
Knowledge through models, videos, demonstrations, brochures
Skill through having your patient demonstrate the technique back
Use the teach-back technique to confirm understanding
Leverage personalized technology to reinforce correct technique outside of clinic.
ENVIRONMENT
Address external and social factors.
Chairside Actions:
Assess available resources, access, and time
Consider social influences, cultural norms, and support systems
Identify a cue to trigger the new behavior
PLANNING
Create a goal to initiate change that develops into lasting habits.
Chairside Actions:
Create a cue and routine (when, where, and how) to reinforce your patient’s identity using the formula: Identity = Cue + Routine
Integrate TePe Digital Recommendation
Create a coping plan to address potential barriers
EVALUATION
Create a clear pathway to strengthen patient-clinician collaboration.
Chairside Actions:
Review identity statements and goals
Monitor clinical outcomes (e.g., reduced bleeding)
Document identity, goal (including cue and routine), current routine, a quote from the patient, and any product recommendations
Effective prevention remains the cornerstone of oral health, with consistent biofilm management serving as its foundation. Despite advances in clinical care, long-term oral health outcomes continue to depend heavily on patients’ daily behaviors. There is a challenge in modern dentistry in translating behavior change evidence into practical application during patient-clinician encounters.
The TePe Prevention Compass™ Protocol was developed to address this gap by providing a structured, chairside approach that integrates prevention with behavior change. The protocol brings together evidence into a cohesive, pragmatic workflow designed for everyday clinical use.
Part one of this series focuses on the structure and application of the protocol as TePe's proposed solution, while part two provides a deeper exploration of the neuroscience, behavioral change models, and digital innovations that inform the protocol.
Your journey to becoming a prevention specialist starts here. TePe provides expert-led education through individual dental practice training, in-person seminars, webinars, and university presentations for residents, faculty, staff, and students. These dynamic courses offer you a meaningful opportunity to make a HUGE lasting impact on oral health.
A team approach to learning about TePe products and how they can benefit your patients. Expand your knowledge and learn about tools for perio, ortho, and implant homecare.
With a TePe Team Huddle you receive samples and a virtual presentation. We offer shorter presentations to fit into your workday or a 1-hour CE course.
TePe Prevention Compass™ Seminars enable you to become a prevention specialist through evidenced-based interactive sessions led by experts.
They are curated for dental professionals who have the desire to make lasting change through customized tools to effectively manage biofilm and integrate TePe Prevention Compass™Protocol, a 7-step protocol chairside.
Partnering to support and educate the next generation of dental professionals as they guide patients to customized homecare solutions. TePe’s virtual university presentations provide a hands-on experience with samples sent in advance.
Illustrator for Interdental Care: A visual comparison of floss, TePe EasyPick, and an interdental brush—highlighting the efficacy of interdental brushes.
Illustrator for Specialty Brushes: Offers illustrations and photos to effectively demonstrate how products are used.
TePe Customized Care Plan: Create an individualized plan for your patient, focused on customized tools and habit development.
TePe Digital Recommendation: Recommend with confidence. Track with ease.
The statistics and claims on this page are supported by the following sources.
