Dental Caries Flashcards
What categorizes Incipient Decay?
The earliest sign of a new carious lesion is the appearance of a chalky WHITE SPOT LESION on the surface of the tooth, indicating an area of demineralization of enamel. This is referred to as a white spot lesion, an incipient carious.
- Will partially or totally disappear when enamel is wet/hydrated. (As opposed to Hypocalcification)
- Surface texture is unaltered and is undetectable by explorer.
- RADIOGRAPHIC: less than < Halfway into the enamel.
- REVERSIBLE (cpp-acp, fluoride rinses)
What is the effect on radiographs when there is overlapping of the teeth?
What does it lead too?
MACH BANDS EFFECT
Along the boundary between ADJACENT SHADES of grey in the Mach bands illusion, lateral inhibition makes the darker area falsely appear even darker and the lighter area falsely appear even lighter.
It EXAGGERATES the CONTRAST between edges of the slightly differing shades of gray, as soon as they contact one another, by triggering EDGE-DETECTION in the human visual system.
A FALSE-POSITIVE radiological diagnosis of dental caries can easily arise if the practitioner does not take into account the likelihood of this illusion. Mach bands manifest adjacent to metal restorations or appliances and the boundary between enamel and dentin.
Besides being a periapical abscess, what two things can a radiolucency at the apex represent?
- Cyst
2. Granuloma
In the Caries process what zone shows the highest mineral loss?
Body of lesion
Horizontal vs Vertical transmission of Caries
VERTICAL transmission:
- transmission of microbes from CAREGIVER to child.
- The major reservoir from which infants acquire MS is their MOTHER.
- ***Infants delivered by CAESARIAN section acquired MS 11.7 months EARLIER than did vaginally delivered infants
HORIZONTAL transmission
- transmission of microbes between members of a group
- family members of a similar age
- students in a classroom
- daycare centers
In summary, dental caries is an infectious and transmissible disease.
What are the different zones found in Caries?
4
As the enamel loses minerals, and dental caries progresses, the enamel develops several distinct zones, visible under a light microscope.
From the deepest layer of the enamel to the enamel surface, the identified areas are the:
- TRANSLUCENT zone
- first visible sign of caries and coincides with a one to two percent loss of minerals. - DARK zone
- A slight remineralization of enamel occurs in the dark zone - BODY of the lesion
- The area of greatest demineralization and destruction is in the body of the lesion itself - SURFACE zone
- relatively mineralized and is present until the loss of tooth structure results in a cavitation
What is the definition of ECC?
1+ DMF < 6
ECC is defined as the presence of one or more decayed. (noncavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries), or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a child under the age of SIX.
What is the definition of S-ECC?
1+SS < 3 1+ ANT DMF < 3-5
any sign of smooth-surface caries in a child younger than three years of age,
1+ ant dmf < 3-5
from ages three through five, one or more cavitated, missing (due to caries), or filled smooth surfaces in primary maxillary anterior teeth or a decayed, missing, or filled score of greater than or equal to four (age 3), greater than or equal to five (age 4), or greater than or equal to six (age 5).
1+ ant dmf < 3-5
4+/3yo
5+/4yo
6+/5yo
Risk factors for ECC
Mother / caregiver has active decay
Low SES
Child has > 3 in between meal sugary snacks
Child is put to bed with bottle containing natural or added sugar
Elevated S. Mutans level
White spot lesions / enamel defects
Xylitol and role in Caries reduction
Ideal dose?
- Reduce plaque formation
- Reduce bacterial adherence
- Inhibitory role of MS
Xylitol chewing gum was effective in reducing dental caries when divided into at least 3 consumption periods per day for a total dose of 6 to 10 g.
Dosage exceeding 40 to 50 g/day included nausea, bloating, borborygmi (rumbling sounds of gas moving through the intestine), colic, diarrhea, and increased total bowel movement frequency
PH at which demineralization occurs?
5.5
What is the percentage of dental caries found in the PIT and FISSURE surface of POSTERIOR teeth?
PERMANENT teeth?
PRIMARY teeth?
90% of the caries of PERMANENT posterior teeth
44% of caries in the PRIMARY teeth in children and adolescents.
Bacteria associated with Caries include what TWO Streptococcus?
S. MUTANS
S. SOBRINUS
“The Mutant was Sober, but had a lot of decay”
Caries definition and stats
Caries is a PREVENTABLE INFECTIOUS disease.
Nearly One in Four 1:4 affected by kindergarten
