When does secondary prevention occur? What does it involve?

• A. Early period of pathogenesis; Early recognition and prompt therapy
• B. Late stage of disease; no therapy
• C. Pre-pathologic period; health promotion
• D. Post-treatment; maintenance

Answer: (A)

Secondary prevention targets stopping disease after it has begun, by detecting it early and treating promptly to prevent progression. This timing means you’ve already entered the disease process, but you act quickly to halt it before it becomes advanced or irreversible. In dentistry, that translates to recognizing early or incipient lesions and intervening promptly with measures that can remineralize or arrest decay, such as appropriate fluoride therapies or minimally invasive treatments. It’s not about preventing the disease from starting (that would be primary prevention), and it’s not about waiting until damage is extensive or focusing only on aftercare post-treatment (that would be tertiary prevention).