Dental Diseases

Question 1

Why do we need to prevent dental diseases?

Answer 1

Cost to health services, financial burden, impact on self esteem, time lost from school/work

Question 2

Child dental health survey fact from 2013

Answer 2

30% of 12-15 year olds had obvious decay experience in adult teeth

Question 3

What is dental caries? complex

Answer 3

Bacteria use sugar as a food source which forms an acid by-product of metabolism which breaks down tooth structure so loss of tooth tissue

Question 4

What is dental caries? simple

Answer 4

loss of tooth tissue due to action of bacteria

Question 5

When does caries happen?

Answer 5

during demineralisation - loss of phosphate and calcium

Question 6

What factors are needed for caries formation?

Answer 6

1. Plaque- the bacteria in plaque that metabolises sugars
2. susceptible tooth
3. substrate- food from diet
4. time

Question 7

What is the pellicle?

Answer 7

collection of sticky proteins on tooth surface derived from saliva
contains bacteria, food debris, minerals and matrix

Question 8

What is actually in plaque that metabolise sugar and produce acids?

Answer 8

bacteria

Question 8

What is the process for a carious lesion?

Answer 8

Acid produced as a product of carb metabolism causes a demineralisation of the tooth, if demineralisation is favoured over remineralising tooth lesion will happen

Question 9

What are the levels of carious lesion?

Answer 9

enamel to dentine to pulp

Question 9

what is the substrate causing caries

Answer 9

sugars like sucrose or fructose are highly cariogenic so linked to caries, starch is not digested in mouth so low cariogenicity

Question 9

what role does saliva have

Answer 9

protective,
contains calcium and phosphate,
promotes remineralisation,
neutralises acids

Question 10

whats reversible pulpitis?

Answer 10

sharp short pain from hot or cold

Question 11

how do we go from a sound tooth to early caries?

Answer 11

demineralisation is favoured from diet, oral hygiene and factors like saliva

Question 12

how do we reverse early caries

Answer 12

prevention like diet, oral hygiene, fissure sealants, community measures cause remineralisation

Question 13

when can you reverse dental caries

Answer 13

when theres white spot lesions but once there’s a hole in enamel need to intervene

Question 14

why is dental caries bad

Answer 14

• expensive to treat
• can cause tooth loss so harder to eat
  -pain and infection
  -high number of child hospital admissions

Question 15

what is periodontal disease?

Answer 15

an inflammatory disease affecting supporting structures leading to mobility and eventually tooth loss eg gingiva, interdental papillae(gums between teeth)

Question 16

what do healthy gums look like

Answer 16

pink and firm gingiva
pyramidal interdental papillae
no bleeding
no pockets bigger than 3mm

Question 17

what is gingivitis

Answer 17

red inflamed gingival margins
red,swollen, shiny gums
bleeding on probing
REVERSIBLE

Question 18

what is periodontitis

Answer 18

affects all structures, pocket formation, bone loss, gums recede, loose teeth
IRREVERSIBLE

Question 19

what is the process of periodontitis

Answer 19

plaque bacteria, body makes immune response to bacteria, bacteria release enzymes and toxins, causes tissue breakdown

Question 20

what is tooth surface loss

Answer 20

irreversible loss of tooth structure due to attrition (tooth on tooth wear), abrasion (tooth loss bc of brushing too hard), erosion- (acid)

Question 21

What is not a sign of periodontal disease?

Answer 21

inflammation of gingiva

Question 22

What is the order for periodontal disease?

Answer 22

white spot lesion, carious lesion impinging on pulp, pulp inflammation, loss of tooth