Caries Curriculum Flashcards
What are the four D’s to follow when planning a caries treatment plan?
Determine, Detect, Decide, Do
What should you do during the ‘Determine’ stage of CariesCare 4D?
determine the patients caries risk via medical, dental and social history
What should you do during the ‘Detect’ stage of CariesCare 4D?
detect caries by clinical examination using good lighting and clean, dry teeth. Stage the lesion severity using ICDAS and assess the lesion activity
What should you do during the ‘Decide’ stage of CariesCare 4D?
decide on a personalised treatment plan based on information from determine and detect
What should you do during the ‘Do’ stage of CariesCare 4D?
Do the treatment plan you decided upon whether that is prevention (NOC) or intervention (TPOC)
Why is vital pulp preservation important?
the preservation of pulp vitality underpins the successful practice of endodontics
What are the two routes of pulp treatment modalities?
vital pulp therapy and nonvital pulp therapy
What are the requirements of an ideal pulp capping agent?
maintain pulp vitality, stimulate reparative dentine, be bacteriocidal or bacteriostatic, provide a bacterial seal, adhere well to dentine and restorative materials, resist forces under the restoration, be sterile, radio-opaque
Which three materials are currently recommended as pulp capping agents?
Calcium Hydroxide, Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA), Biodentine
What is vital pulp therapy?
the treatment initiated on an exposed pulp to repair and maintain the pulp vitality
Which vital pulp therapy is used in cases of deep carious lesions?
indirect pulp capping
Which vital pulp therapy is used in cases of pulp exposure?
direct pulp capping or pulpotomy
Why is calcium hydroxide used for vital pulp therapy?
it acts as a protective barrier for pulpal tissues by blocking dentinal tubules and by neutralising the attack of inorganic acids from certain cements and filling materials
What are the four zones of healing when treating with calcium hydroxide?
Zone of obliteration, zone of coagulation necrosis, zone of dentine bridge formation, line of demarcation
What occurs in the zone of obliteration?
the pulp tissue immediately in contact with the calcium hydroxide is usually completely deranged and distorted
What occurs in the zone of coagulation necrosis?
the tissue together with its plasma proteins within the zone of obliteration takes the brunt of the calcium hydroxide chemical thrust
What occurs in the zone of dentin bridge formation?
Mineralisation is initiated by calcium hydroxide and there is no distinct structural configuration