CAP2 + 3- Enamel and dentine caries Flashcards
What is dental caries?
progressive destruction of the tooth surface
what is dental caries initiated by?
microbial activity at the tooth surface (crown or exposed root)
Depending on the environment , how can caries progress?
- Can progress unhindered to pulp
- Can remineralise (can arrest)
What 4 factors are needed for dental caries to occur?
- plaque bacteria
- time
- substrate
- susceptible tooth
what can be used to stop a susceptible tooth?
Fissure seal to prevent - acid etch and apply resin to smooth out surface and make suspectible area non-susceptible
What does brushing teeth do to prevent caries?
Takes out time factor and can be managed by diet
what are the 4 non-carious causes of tooth surface loss?
- Erosion
- Abrasion
- Attrition
- Abfraction
What is erosion?
Acid from gastric reflex- balemic patients , reflux disorders , low pH from stomach ,palatal surface -palatal erosion
other acid to cause erosion : diet- acidic food(fruit, drinks)
What is abrasion?
Abrasion-tooth brush abrasion, tooth wear caused by something outside the mouth touching the tooth (toothpaste), vigorous brushing with whitening toothpaste
What is attrition?
Tooth on tooth wear -this can be incisal ,occlusal and aproximal
What is abfraction?
Explains cervical notches, weaking of cervical aspect of the tooth ,when you bite hard on something, tooth flexs, cause micro cracks at cerical margins where enamel is thin
What are the key observations of acidogenic theory?
– many organisms can produce acid from fermentation of sugar
– Many oral bacteria produce lactic acid
– Sugar/bread + saliva + bacteria + extracted teeth = demineralisation
How is acid produced at tooth surface?
Bacterial fermentation of dietary CHOs
what does boiling microbes do?
-stopped acid production
– acid production needed starches and sugars
– no acid production if lean meat or fats were the substrate
What is the enamel structure of the prism core?
– Tightly packed hydroxyapatite
– Little inter-crystalline spaces
What is the enamel structure of the prism sheath?
– Less well packed crystals
– Space (= pores) contains water and organic material
– Allows easier diffusion of acid
– Where demineralisation starts
What is the clinal appearance of enamel caries?
- “white spot lesion”
- Matt appearance
what is required to see enamel caries clinically?
– Clean teeth – plaque free
– Dry teeth
what do areas that are demineralised look like when light is shone through?
looks darker
what does the appearance of enamel caries depend on?
- Refractive index (RI) of the mounting medium
- penetration of the medium
- RI Air = 1.00
- RI Enamel = 1.62
- RI Water = 1.33
- RI Quinoline = 1.62 – a large molecule
- Water or air appear dark
what does enamel and caries look like on a radiograph?
- enamel looks lighter on radiograph , but caries looks darker
- different zones reflecting -different zones of activity