Exam #2: Dental Diseases, Emergencies, and Treatments Flashcards
What are dental caries?
Tooth decay
What is the primary etiology of dental caries?
Steptococci mutans
What bacteria are associated with root decay?
Actinomyces genus
What is the dental caries triad?
1) Tooth
2) Bacteria
3) Carbohydrate
The combination of these three is a “recipe” for decay.
What food has the highest relative cariogenicity?
- Soda/ pop* - Mountain Dew
2) Fruit drinks
3) Orange juice
4) Apple juice
5) Grape juice
What are the characteristics of highly cariogenic foods?
- High fermentable carbohydrate content
- Sticky
- Break into small particles in the mouth
- Causes pH to fall below 5.5
- Highly processed
What are the characteristics of foods with low cariogenic potential?
- High protein
- Moderate fat
- Minimal carbohydrates
- High Ca++ and phosphorus
- pH greater than 6
- Stimulate saliva secretion
What are anticariogenic foods?
- Foods that return pH to normal
- Foods that prevent plaque attachment
- Foods that stimulate secretion of saliva
What are examples of anticariogenic foods?
Cheese
Tea
What are coronal caries?
Dental caries involving the crown/ visible part of the teeth
What are the symptoms of coronal caries?
- Sensitivity to hot/cold
- Sensitivity to sweets
- Pain on biting/ mastication
What are root caries?
Dental caries involving the root of the tooth leading to recession of the gum-line
Seen in elderly population
What are the symptoms of root caries?
- Sensitivity to hot/cold
- Sensitivity to sweets
- Pain on mastication
What are the two major factors that contribute to dental caries secondary to soda?
- Poor oral hygiene
- Xerostomia (dry mouth)
What are the major causes of xerostomia?
- Medication
- Radiation
- Age
- Methamphetamine
What medications induce xerostomia?
- Anti-hypertensives
- Anti-arrhythmic
- Anti-hyperlipidemic
- Anti-histamines
- Anti-depressants
- Anti-parkinson’s
What constitutes a dental emergency?
- Acute pain
- Abscess
- Cellulitis
- Injury
What is the definition of acute pain?
- Less than 12-24 hours
- Short or no resolution with analgesia
- With or without swelling
- Frequent drinks of cool water to quell a “hot” tooth
What are the different types of dental abscess?
- Intra-oral
- Extra-oral
- Pulpitis-Nerve Necrosis
- Periodontal
**Note that these are more common in kids that are formula fed AND laid down with the bottle*
What are the symptoms of abscesses?
- Localized soft tissue swelling
- Erythema
- Tenderness with palpation
What are the symptoms of cellulitis?
- Extra-oral swelling
- Trismus (lock-jaw)
- Localized pain
What is Ludwig’s Angina?
- A skin infection that occurs on the floor of the mouth
- Inflammation and swelling can impede the airway
This is a truly life-threatening dental emergency
