dental caries Flashcards
WHAT CAUSES DEFECTIVE
TOOTH STRUCTURE?
⬜ Dental caries
⬜ Tooth wear
⬜ Developmental defects
⬜ Trauma
caries
caries is a disease that causes
destruction of the calcified tissues of the teeth,
caused by the action of plaque bacteria on
fermentable carbohydrates.
what type of disease is dental caries
a multi-factorial disease,
where Dental Plaque is an essential
component
what is dental plaque made up of
Dental plaque is made up of:
salivary proteins, 700 species of bacteria, fungi,
food sugars)
four essential components of caries
⬜ Tooth surface
⬜ Plaque
⬜ Sugars
⬜ Time
what is a biofilm
A COMPLEX COMMUNITY OF DIFFERENT
MICROBES IN AN EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX
OF BACTERIAL AND SALIVARY POLYMERS
bacteria involved
700 species of bacteria
Streptococcus mutans
◦Lactobacillus species
what does bacteria use as a nutrient and what is the end product
Bacteria use sugars as a nutrient & the end
product is ACID
at what pH will de-mineralisation take place
when pH falls to 5.4 or below
what does saliva deliver to allow re-mineralisation to occur
ions
what will increase resistance to the acid attack
fluoride
what is the critical pH
5.5
resting pH in caries active ppl
5.8
pH in carries immune ppl
6.5
preventative strategies
Fluoride application
Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride Mouthwashes
Fissure sealants
